A question frequently asked around St. Louis University is: “What’s that big white building, just off campus? You know, on the other side of the church.” This building has been given names around campus like “The Superman Building,” due to the fact that it is rumored to be the building that was the inspiration for the original Daily Planet in Superman comics. The “big white building” has a name, though. It is, in fact, the Continental Building.
Constructed in 1929 by hog farmer Edmund Mays for the $2 million, the building became a standout in the St. Louis skyline. Fifty-two flood lights once illuminated this monolith of midtown. The zeppelin tower atop the structure once featured an 11 foot aerial beacon, which could be seen for 100 miles. In March 1999 the building was bought less than the cost of a load of laundry at Griesedieck, $1.
Steve Tramp, a developer for Owen Development, purchased the vacant structure last year with the intent to renovate the building into 107 residential apartments. Plans also call for the creation of limited commercial space including a restaurant, office space, a swimming pool, bocce court and health club.
SLU’s board of trustees approved $150,000 last year to fund a feasibility study of the redevelopment of the Continental Building. In a statement issued around the time of the purchase University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., stated that the expenditure was approved because, “the Continental Building is located in the University’s immediate neighborhood.
“Its restoration for commercial and residential use would not only bring people back to midtown, thereby adding to the stability of the area, but also could provide housing for SLU faculty and staff who want to live near the Frost campus,” said Biondi.
At the moment, however, it appears nobody is even thinking about developing the Continental. From the upper floors of Griesedieck Hall, students can see broken windows on each floor of the building, plus the worn and discolored terracotta tiles of its shell. However, Owen Development is making plans to begin work over the summer and expects to be finished within 16 months. The company cannot begin to make any drastic physical changes to the building because issues with the layout, overall structure, and the skin still have to be assessed.
Besides Owen Development, major players in the operation have been SLU, Grand Center, the city of St. Louis, and the state of Missouri. “It’s a community effort,” said Tramp.
The skyscraper was designed in 1928 by locally-known architect William Ittner and was formally opened on July 21, 1930. The structure stands 23 stories high and was open for almost 50 years, but a lack of tenants and overall deterioration led to its close in 1979.
The building wasted away with the rest of the city during the urban decay of the 1980s and most of the ’90s. In spite of this, the edifice has latched on to St. Louis’ recent efforts to revitalize the city. Along with the development of lofts on Washington Avenue, the Chase Park Plaza, and the slow but steady revitalization of Forest Park, it is hoped that this structure will come around with the rest of the city.
