The former Hi-Fi Fo-Fum, at 1155 S. Big Bend Boulevard, is set to be a bike shop, following renovations.
Richmond Heights planning and zoning approved the use at its January meeting, and the city council let the decision stand without bringing it up at its meeting on Monday. The shop will be Big Shark Bicycle Company — relocating from the University City Loop.
Big Shark owner Mike Weiss told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch increased traffic at the store’s location at 6133 Delmar Boulevard has made customer parking difficult. He said he found a spot about 1.5 miles southwest of the Loop — this is it.
According to nextSTL, the shop will occupy the building in north end of the site — approximately 7,000 square feet. The 2-story building on the corner will be demolished. Weiss said it was found to be structurally unsafe and could not be renovated. The area will become 22 parking spaces and landscaping.
The shop is set to open in April, Big Shark said on Facebook. The University City store will remain open until then.
Read the full post in nextSTL.
The Richmond Heights Building Department has these photos on file of past uses of the building.
That is just what we need on a hilly road like Big Bend. More road blocking bicycles and old men and women in speedos. Good Grief!
It won’t be that bad, Jerry. Most people that shop at Big Shark arrive by car. Plus Big Bend doesn’t get a ton of cyclists anyway because it’s in such poor condition. Since it’s owned by St. Louis County, I don’t expect that to change any time soon. Remember, it’s a five-lane road, so if you’re behind a bicyclist, just take a deep breath, change lanes, and carry on.
love it…….those annoying bicyclists! It is such a burden for a driver when we see a bicyclist on Big Bend. We actually have to a) pay attention b) move our foot/ankle a couple inches off the pedal to slow down a tad and c) and this is the real tough one…. look into the rearview mirror to then move the steering wheel a couple inches to the left and then back to the right once the annoying bicyclist has been safely passed. Life is so unfair for those of us that drive.
Glad to hear that corner is being revitalized. Sad to hear that building is being demolished. It was one of my favorites.
While I am sad to see the south building go, I am encouraged by the revitalization along this stretch of Big Bend. First the Clayshire Electric building next to 64/40 was renovated and became an orthodontists office. Currently, the post office is being revamped and will share additional retail space. Now, we’ll have a well-established St. Louis bike shop that should anchor block for years to come. Add to that the Manhasset Apartments project, phase 2 of The Boulevard, the Boland Apartments, and a possible Marriott with additional retail at Hanley and Dale, and our city is receiving more investment than we have in a long time.
It’s great that a new tenant will fill the space, but it seems a bit short-sighted for RH to create another big parking lot on Big Bend. And that’s on top of losing an interesting old building.
I love that building. Great use for it!
They’re actually demolishing the building: http://bit.ly/1NP4yyg Where the cool building on the corner is will be parking. What a disappointment.
This is a big disappointment. I’m curious as to what “structurally unsafe” means in this instance. I understand structural reinforcement work can get very expensive, but you can’t deny the South building would be great for the shop with its unique architecture. What a shame.
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