Downtown West’s City Commons vision is getting a very concrete test: Developers have broken ground on Rollick, a $24 million apartment project that will bring 74 new homes to the blocks near Energizer Park and Union Station. The project is the first major piece of a much larger redevelopment push that aims to remake one of St. Louis’ most strategically placed neighborhoods.
As reported by FOX 2, crews broke ground Friday near the corner of Washington Avenue and North 22nd Street. Rollick is being positioned as an early, visible proof point for City Commons, the branded district taking shape in Downtown West.
Rollick Brings New Housing And Retail To Downtown West
Plans described by St. Louis Magazine call for Rollick to include 74 apartments along with about 3,500 square feet of restaurant and retail space on the ground floor. That mix is meant to add more daily activity to an area that can still feel busiest when soccer fans are arriving at the stadium.
The groundbreaking follows an earlier report from the St. Louis Business Journal that construction was expected to begin this spring. The project is being developed by AHM Group as part of its broader effort to build and renovate properties around the stadium district.
City Commons Is Much Bigger Than One Apartment Building
The City Commons redevelopment plan is described as a roughly $400 million investment program, while the district’s own regional data page counts nearly $1 billion in new development across the area since stakeholders began organizing around the identity in 2019. The branded area stretches from 17th Street west to Beaumont Street, and from Market Street north to Lucas Avenue.
The initiative’s website lists 1,050 housing units under construction or proposed, along with new hotels, restaurants, bars and office space. It is a promotional tally rather than a city government forecast, but it captures the scale of the bet being placed on the blocks around Energizer Park.
AHM’s larger pipeline includes The 314, a proposed 29-story mass-timber tower with 287 residences and 15,000 square feet of commercial space, according to Korb Architecture. St. Louis Magazine has also reported plans for additional apartment buildings, retail space and a parking structure nearby.
A Rare Downtown Start In A Slower Construction Market
Rollick’s timing is notable beyond the neighborhood itself. A May multifamily report from Yardi Matrix said St. Louis-area developers broke ground on just one project totaling 96 units during the first quarter, even though 4,686 units were under construction across the metro as of March.
That makes Rollick more than another rendering in a development presentation. The building gives City Commons a chance to show whether new housing, street-level businesses and stadium-driven foot traffic can reinforce one another block by block. A neighborhood can have a new name and a glossy plan, but it starts becoming real when the dirt finally moves.
