Historic Architecture, Legendary Lifestyle!

Legendary Lifestyle

A new generation of residents now find home in the meticulously restored 19th century building. The remarkable Merchandise Mart comes alive again as the premiere rental lofts in Downtown St. Louis. 

A focus on service makes the Merchandise Mart Apartments the perfect address, the perfect lifestyle!

With unique restaurants, pubs and coffee shops, Downtown offers an abundance of tastes and treats. Just steps from the City Museum, the Arch, Laclede`s Landing and your favorite sporting events, you can now live where you play!

The City is spending about $17.5 million for streetscape renovation on Washington that will, among other things, double the width of the sidewalks to 18 feet for a six-block stretch between Tucker and 18th Streets and install new streetlights and planters.

The Merchandise Mart Apartments offers a variety of floor plans, giving you a wide choice to best fit your personal lifestyle.

Historic Architecture

Arguably one of the masterpieces of late 19th century commercial design, this imposing Romanesque Revival building was build in  1888-89 for local tobacco company magnates John E. Liggett and  George S. Myers from plans by Isaac Taylor of St. Louis. 

Bold but disciplined, the block-long medley of materials includes  polished and rough cut rose granite, pressed brick, terra cotta, sandstone, cast iron and copper. Original tenants included the Rice-Stix wholesale dry goods company, a relative newcomer to St. Louis that  by 1907 had expanded to fill the entire building.

Renamed the Merchandise Mart, the 500,000 square foot building continued in limited operation even after a local purchaser announced redevelopment plans in 1983.

The giant of Washington Avenue sat empty, threatened with  demolition until 2001 when a conversion into 213 apartments by Historic Restoration Inc. (St. Louis and New Orleans) was approved.

Historic Restoration Incorporated Profile

"Revitalizing cities by creating diverse, vibrant, sustainable communities"

Based in New Orleans, and with offices in St. Louis, Missouri, award winning Historic Restoration Incorporated (HRI) is a full service real estate  development company and a national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic  structures.

Founded in 1982, HRI is dedicated to the pursuit of accomplishing two feats: rebuilding neighborhoods and recreating entire communities. HRI has completed more than 23 large-scale projects, including more than 1,725 apartment units, more than 1000 hotel rooms, and over one million square feet of office and retail space, with a total funding value of more than $1 billion.

HRI has earned numerous awards for its building restoration projects and community service, including the National Preservation Honor Award, conferred by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. HRI has been named Entrepreneur of the Year-Real Estate and Construction for the Nation by by Ernst & Young. Most recently, HRI received the Sold on St. Louis Award for its development initiatives in St. Louis.

Since its first venture, HRI Group has continued its mission by developing technically innovative and aesthetically pleasing landmarks in the cities throughout the country. The company employs more than 200 people  throughout the country and keeps a keen focus on its core values: respect for all, teamwork/interdependence, and passion based on belief in the firm`s mission.

Check out Historic Restoration Inc. website for detailed information about the company.