Von Maur Department Store Selects The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis for its First Store In Missouri

Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur Department Stores will build its first store in Missouri at Davis Street Land Company's The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis lifestyle center in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

The Meadows, scheduled to open in August 2008, is being developed on a 64-acre site at Lake Saint Louis Boulevard and Interstate 64 (I-64).

Privately owned Von Maur's first store in Missouri will be a two-level, 130,000-square-foot building anchoring the north portion of The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis property. It will employ 225 Von Maur associates.

"Our Midwestern roots make Missouri a natural market for us," said Jim von Maur, president of Von Maur. "We look forward to bringing our long-standing commitment to quality, style, selection and service to the residents of St. Louis."

"We are pleased that Von Maur will be anchoring The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis," said Robert Perlmutter, managing partner with Davis Street Land Company, which is developing the center along with local partner, Bruce Johnston. "Our goal is to create a lifestyle center that matches the style and sophistication of St. Louis. With Von Maur as our anchor, The Meadows at Lake St. Louis is poised to become a shopping destination of choice in St. Louis."

The Von Maur family has operated its privately held department store chain since its 1872 founding in Davenport, Iowa, by C.J. von Maur. The family currently operates stores in nine states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Ferguson Properties to build hotel

The news of Von Maur's commitment comes on the heels of Kansas City-based Ferguson Properties' decision to build a 110- to 120-room, Marriott- or a Hilton-flagged hotel at The Meadows.

The hotel, to be designed as the next generation business traveler hotel, will be built on a three-acre site at the intersection of I-64 and Lake Saint Louis Boulevard.

"We evaluated roughly nine prospective development sites across St. Louis and concluded that The Meadows best fits our metric for the upscale, business traveler hotel that we envision," said Jewett "Jay" Ferguson, executive vice president of Ferguson Properties.

The hotel is slated to open in spring 2009 and carries a projected completion value of more than $12 million. Ferguson estimates the new hotel will employ more than 20 people.

Founded in 1983 by John Ferguson, Ferguson Properties is a commercial developer of retail, office and hospitality properties. The firm expanded into hotel development in 1990 and to date has developed seven hotels totaling nearly 500 rooms.

Ferguson Properties is based in Kansas City, Mo. For more information, call 816-781-2520.

Bed, Bath Beyond Signs as Junior Anchor

Housewares giant Bed, Bath Beyond has announced it has signed on as a junior anchor with a 25,000-square-foot store, its second location in St. Charles County.

"We couldn't be more pleased with this newest series of events," said Johnston. "It builds on the momentum we established in 2007 and is timely as we approach the grand opening of our 260,000-square-foot first phase this summer."

To date, retailers committed to the center include:

• Coldwater Creek
• Chico's
• White House/Black Market
• Banana Republic
• Ann Taylor
• Talbots
• Eddie Bauer
• Jos. A. Bank
• New Balance
• Lenscrafters Optique
• The Walking Company
• Victoria's Secret
• Ann Taylor Loft
• New York Co.
• Gymboree
• Bath Body Works
• Kay Jewelers
• Claire's
• Sunglass Hut
• Yankee Candle
• Select Comfort
• Christopher Banks

The lifestyle center will ultimately host 500,000 square feet of shops woven in a pedestrian-friendly "downtown" grid marked by water features, landscaped boulevards and outdoor gathering spaces.

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