ST. LOUIS — The Chemical Building in downtown St. Louis has secured a deal to open as a dual-branded hotel with two brands from Marriott International, according to plans filed with the city.
The historic building at 777 Olive St. would be renovated into a dual-brand hotel under the Residences Inn and SpringHill Suites flags, according to plans sent out to find contractors for the project. The hotel would have 240 rooms with amenity spaces, a fitness room and common areas.
New Orleans-based architectural firm John T. Campo & Associates bought the 125-year-old building in December for $5 million from a New York commercial real estate firm, Morgan Communities, that had tried to redevelop the building into micro-apartments. The building has been mostly vacant for years.
Company owner John Campo, Marriott International and PARIC Construction did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. At a March city meeting to grant variances for the building’s construction to move forward, Campo said that he planned to use historic tax credits to help fund the renovation.
When the building last hosted tenants, it was used as an office building with ground-floor retail. A jewelry store, Kessler Mroz, still has a storefront.
“Our intent is to breathe new life into this gorgeous structure and avoid demolition by neglect,” when a building deteriorates so much that it must be demolished rather than reused, Campo said at the meeting.
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