Est 1908: Built for the Louis Onimus Umbrella Shop to serve the growing population of St. Louis as it expanded around the ever-desirable Tower Grove Park, this 6700 sqft mixed-use building is in a prime location near Grand and Arsenal. Surrounded by the thriving shopping and restaurant district on South Grand, this live/work mixed-use retail building will be brought back to life for the next hundred years!

Our vision is to restore the now-vacant ground floor retail space into a thriving community event space and create four 500 sqft market-rate apartments on the second floor. This will be a gut rehab and will take place in a series of stages. The ground floor retail space will be operating through out all these phases, with the nature of the business changing as we move through the phases of construction.

TIMEFRAME:  SEPTEMBER 2023 - SEPTEMBER 2024

The building has faced a series of challenges in recent years: a failing roof, distressed brick work, burglary, and extended vacancy. Unfortunately there is little remaining inside that can be used due to the extended period of neglect. The first step is to secure the building envelope and structural work. This will involve reinforcing the brick facade, removing and replacing the two levels of flat roofing, and extensive tuckpointing work on the bricks.

During this phase, the interior of the retail and residential areas will be gutted back to the bricks and studs. We will do minimal renovations to the interior of the retail space and begin operating it as an art gallery and event space known as The Umbrella Shop. The original 13ft tall tin-tiled ceilings will be restored, with new lighting, flooring, HVAC, and an ADA-compliant bathroom.

If you have ideas for community events that you'd like to host here during this phase, please reach out at hello@cicadaalley.com with your ideas.

TIMEFRAME:  SEPTEMBER 2024 - SEPTEMBER 2026

In this phase, we will begin construction on the residential apartments upstairs, and build-out the ground floor space to be used as a retail space once again. We expect construction to take 6-12 months, with our first tenants moving in by September 2026. 

RESIDENTIAL: Four ~500sqft apartments will be created with modern amenities and an open layout. The design will focus on retaining the historical details and upgrading where it makes sense: modern lighting, fixtures, insulation, and utilities, with turn-of-the-century aesthetics to the design. We will remove gas service relying only on electrical service. Solar panels will be installed on the roof to help offset the electrical costs. The apartments will be priced just below market-rate, so that they are affordable and attractive to a wide range of potential tenants.

TIMEFRAME:  SEPTEMBER 2024 - FOREVER

In this phase, we will re-invent the 1000sqft retail space with another major construction project. This will be a full build-out of a bar/performance venue, which we will operate.

The style of the bar will focus on turn-of-the-century European aesthetics, with floor-to-ceiling operable wooden shutters and cafe-style seating in the front alcove, and all kinds of beautiful millwork. The bar area, in the front, will be open-the-public in the mornings as a small "coffee and croissants" cafe, and at night as a neighborhood hangout offering non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks. 

In the back portion of the space there will be a separate 2000sqft area for performances: everything from live music, stand-up comedy, small-scale theater, and burlesque acts. Of course this will remain available for community events of all kinds.

NICE TO HAVE: We would love to build out a small-scale bakery where we make fresh croissants and baguettes every day and the menu in the cafe and bar will focus on those products, making sandwiches and small plates featuring them. This may happen on-site or in a separate commissary kitchen.