Laclede’s Landing, long tied to its nightlife reputation and cobblestone bar scene, is quietly shifting into something else entirely. Advantes Group has converted five historic warehouse buildings into apartments with street-level shops, a move aimed at bringing stable residents and everyday commerce to the nine-block district just steps from the Gateway Arch.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the five mixed-use properties are now under Advantes’ management, and owners Brian and Gretchen Minges want to see other developers pile in. The outlet reports that Advantes’ confidence has been helped along by more visible engagement from the city on the riverfront, which developers say makes future deals pencil out more easily.
Projects on the ground
Details from the St. Louis Development Corporation show the firm’s Landing lineup includes Paincourt Lofts, Hoffman Lofts, Greeley Lofts and Trader Lofts. The agency notes that Trader Lofts, planned at 801–805 N. Second Street, is programmed for about 20 apartments and roughly 5,338 square feet of commercial space, and that Paincourt Lofts wrapped up construction in November 2022.
Several of the projects received tax abatements or other public financing, assistance that Advantes has said was key to closing construction loans and pushing the renovations ahead in buildings that are older, complicated and not exactly cheap to rehab.
Retail filling ground floors
The shift is not just happening upstairs. New food and retail tenants are starting to take over the ground floors of these converted buildings. Peper Lofts now hosts The Cobblestone market and deli along with a Brew Tulum coffee outpost, according to the developer and local coverage. St. Louis Magazine reported that Cobblestone’s partners credited Advantes’ work with making the Landing feel like a smarter place to open their doors.
Advantes Group lists multiple completed and active conversions on the Landing, reinforcing the idea that the developer is trying to assemble a critical mass of residents and storefronts rather than betting on a single one-off project.
Why density matters
Urban planners have long argued that adding full-time residents is crucial for sustaining neighborhood businesses and easing the boom-and-bust cycle that comes with relying on nightlife alone. A recent retail-opportunity report from Greater St. Louis Inc. points to renewed investor interest in downtown parcels and links that attention to improvements around the Arch grounds and stepped-up riverfront activity.
Developers say those market signals make historically sensitive conversions more bankable today than they were a decade ago, when interest and financing were both harder to come by.
What’s next for the Landing
Advantes’ owners told the St. Louis Business Journal they hope other builders will follow their lead while the firm keeps pushing ahead with Hoffman and Greeley Lofts, which are still under construction.
City incentives and programs cited by the St. Louis Development Corporation have played a central role in getting several of these deals over the finish line. Developers say that ongoing municipal engagement will be a major factor in whether the Landing fully evolves into a lived-in neighborhood or continues to function primarily as a destination for visitors.
If more local builders step in, the Landing’s empty storefronts and cobblestones could be animated by residents and daily commerce instead of relying so heavily on weekend bar traffic. For now, the Mingeses’ rollup of five buildings stands as the clearest sign yet that the district’s quiet revival is starting to gain traction.
