By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE
A well-traveled stretch in the City of Ferguson is preparing to welcome Burlington Coat Factory and additional tenants.
St. Louis-based Pernikoff Construction Company began a gut rehab in March 2021 of the 50,000-square-foot building on the site at W. Florissant Avenue and Interstate 270 that once held a Toys R Us retail store. Pernikoff Construction President Jeff Pernikoff said the City of Ferguson proactively worked with the developer and general contractor to make the deal happen so construction work could begin swiftly. The design-build project is on schedule to reach completion in late July.
“We can’t say enough about how terrific the City of Ferguson has been to work with,” said Pernikoff.
Burlington Coat Factory’s newest St. Louis area location will face south along West Florissant. The contractor has partitioned a dividing wall to create storefronts facing east to accommodate additional national retail tenants which have not yet been announced. Burlington will occupy approximately 29,000 square feet.
City of Ferguson Director of Planning and Development Eliot Liebson said the city has been ready to welcome new development to the site for more than four years, but Toys R Us was working its way through bankruptcy-related debt before selling the property.
More than 100,000 people live within a 3-mile radius of the Burlington site in Ferguson, according to Liebson, and more than 40,000 daytime employees work within a 3-mile radius.
“The traffic count at this intersection is more than 160,000 vehicles per day,” said Liebson. “We have every confidence that we’re going to fill the building up. Burlington is here because they know these numbers. Every week, I receive two to three inquiries from developers and site selectors about available opportunities in our city. Developers and owners know that Ferguson is a place where people can do business.”
Additional construction project partners include Reinhold Electric, Albert Arno, Sub Trio Plumbing, Accurate Fire Protection, Crafton Contracting, B & C Painting, Countryside Flooring and Bethalto Glass.