The article discusses the demolition of Chesterfield Mall in St. Louis by Staenberg Group and Spirtas Worldwide to repurpose it into a mixed-use development, aiming to create a vibrant urban-suburban community with sustainable demolition practices and new utilities in progress.
The Staenberg Group photo
Demolition due to complete summer 2025
Across the country, traditional shopping malls are under duress. Chesterfield Mall in suburban St. Louis fell into this category. It opened in the 1970s and was a popular shopping destination.
However, competition from discount shopping, like Chesterfield Commons and its nearly 1 million sq. ft. of shopping, took its toll. Online sellers took away more business. Soon retailers in the mall could no longer compete and left. Big-box retailers like Macy's and Dillard's at the mall were hard hit as well.
St. Louis-based Staenberg Group (TSG) bought the mall in 2018 and decided to repurpose the 117-acre site into a mixed-use development. The $2 billion redevelopment project was envisioned to include 2,700 residences, office space, a grocery store, restaurants and more.
"This new entity will be an urban downtown in a suburban location," said Tim Lowe, Staenberg's senior vice president of development. "We're trying to create something that will appeal to people who are looking for a downtown environment that comes with extra amenities."
Taylor Reich is the project manager of the "Downtown Chesterfield" effort. He stated that the Dillard's building is still owned by the department store, while the Macy's store will be repurposed by TSG. With 255,000 (approx. 85,000 per floor for three floors) sq. ft. of space and columns 26-32 ft. apart, the Macy's building has "exciting potential" according to Reich.
While many similar redevelopment projects lay dormant for years, The Staenberg Group started inside demolition two weeks after the last tenant left. For Staenberg, inside demolition means a commitment to recycling whenever feasible.
Like saving pieces of a 1970s car for repurchase by a classic car collector, the mall has many items worth saving.
"We are recycling some 2,000 linear feet of buss ducts," said Reich. "These sheet metal ducts are for electrical distribution in malls and are not being built anymore. We are removing them so they can be resold or repurposed."
Some equipment will be reused as is, while other metals can be recycled.
"Our goal is to recycle everything we can and minimize the material that must be taken to the landfill."
Taking Care of Utilities
However, most of the utility infrastructure cannot be reused as is and is being disassembled by hand and taken out of the structure by scissors lifts. The first 30-45 days of inside demolition began with utilities, including gas lines, being decommissioned.
The work of extracting electric meters began soon afterward. The demolition effort entails pulling the sewer system out of the ground and reorienting the 12-in. water mains. Twenty manholes, which cover shafts leading to underground utility vaults, also will be removed.
"We are taking out utilities clear to the road that circles the mall. Everything in the new development will be brand new," said Reich.
TSG is following an aggressive schedule with the Downtown Chesterfield development. Demolition contractor Spirtas Worldwide, located in the St. Louis metro area, began knocking down walls in mid-December and will complete the job this summer. Grading the property will take some time with construction of new utilities planned for 2026. Developers will begin their work after that.
Workers are using excavators with a variety of attachments, including claws and mobile shears. Concrete grinders and jaw crushers will pulverize concrete onsite, which will be used to support new roads and structures.
TSG estimates that 80,000 cu. yds. of concrete will be repurposed onsite. The asphalt parking lots also will be recycled and used as a base layer or intermediate layer for new roads.
Bulldozers, motor graders, front loaders and other equipment will be used to grade the property and bring it to a fixed level consistent with where the Macy's and Dillard's buildings were situated. Project supervisors will use drone footage and GPS from bulldozers to locate material for fill.
"We use the drones to document progress every month," said Reich. "We use a combination of technologies to ensure that levels will be accurate."
Security is always an issue, especially on a property that some locals have been around for nearly 50 years.
"We will put up nearly a mile of fencing around the property," said Reich. "We don't want members of the public getting inside and getting hurt. Of course, we will insist on proper safety attire for our workers."
One unusual aspect of the demolition is that TSG and Spritas allowed first responders some elbow room to hone their rescue skills while demolition is happening elsewhere on the property.
"They learned how to safely cut a hole in a building in order to perform a rescue," said Reich. "This is specialized training for them and even could help prepare for a major disaster like an earthquake. Not many developers would allow first responders this kind of practice."
While the downtown Chesterfield dream is clear to TSG people and developers as they study their mockups, the current site is mostly rubble.
"We are looking to create a multi-generational community here," said Reich. "The Town Square will be anchored with a 3.3-acre park, pedestrian trails and bike paths. The community will have more than 1,700 public parking spaces, but the emphasis will be for residents to be able to walk where they want to go. It will be a community where people will want to live and enjoy for years to come." CEG
Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
Read more from Chuck MacDonald here.
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