Proposed development could bring condos, new retail to Old Webster

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A parking lot in downtown Webster Groves could soon make way for new condos and shops, sparking excitement but also raising questions about traffic and parking in the area.

The proposed mixed-use development from WGRE Holdings is planned for the corner of West Lockwood Avenue and Jefferson Road.

For business owners on Lockwood, something new coming to the area is always a plus.

“I love it,” Ashley Ulkus, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Boardeux, exclaimed. “It just brings action, excitement and energy into it.”

“[I’m] excited to have more expansion coming in this direction,” Rachel McDougall, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Boardeux, stated.

Ulkus and McDougall recently opened their store, which sits right across the street from the potential development.

“It would be amazing to have fresh new retail and some nice condos go up on this end of Lockwood,” Ulkus said. “I feel like a lot of the action happens further down that way and there are some new businesses going over here, so it would be incredible to have more happen over on this end.”

“If things aren’t progressing, they’re getting stale,” McDougall exclaimed. “And so it’s exciting to see that for the future of families in Webster and just development across the community.”

The proposed development is a four-story mixed-use building featuring 21 residential condos, 5,000 to 6,000 square feet of ground retail space and 65 off-street parking spots.

“It’s a nice amenity for the downtown Webster Groves area,” John Wagner, director of planning and development for the city of Webster Groves, emphasized.

Wagner said the city is happy to see new development come in downtown.

“It’ll have more residents in the area so residents can come in and live closer and go to some of the stores and restaurants in downtown Webster and that’s always a good thing,” he explained.

One concern we did hear from those in the area was that traffic could become an issue. Wagner said the city is already working on a solution.

“We’re just making sure that the traffic is not going to overwhelm the area and I don’t think it will,” he stated. “The developer is working on a traffic study, or traffic letter, really, that will address some of the parking and the traffic concerns.”

For those nearby, like Ulkus and McDougall, the positives outweigh any of those concerns.

“It just gives visibility to all the really exciting things that are happening here,” Ulkus said. “And when every new shop opens, it gives more reason for people to come and then more shops consider opening too - it’s just a win-win for everybody.”

“We live in Webster, raise our families in Webster, and we love when new people come into our community and really see what we have to offer,” McDougall exclaimed.

Webster Groves City Council recently approved a rezoning request and preliminary development plan for the site.

The next step is for the developers to go to the Architectural Review Board to review the building itself and then present a final development plan to the plan commission.

City Council will then get final approval.