Built St. Louis

Episode 3: Barry Nelson

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Architect and sometime-developer Barry Nelson spoke with Built St. Louis on October 17, 2025.

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The Sevens Building, 7777 Bonhomme – 1971
230 S. Bemiston – 1963
White Oak Townhomes, 7751-59 Kingsbury – 1980
Warson Commerce Center, 10401 Baur Boulevard – 1987
Warson Commerce Center, 10401 Baur Boulevard – 1987
11605 Studt Avenue – 1981
Essex Place, 120 W. Essex – 1981
139 N. Central – 1983 (16 condominiums)

139 N. Central – 1983 (16 condominiums)
139 North Central – 1983 (16 condominiums)

149 N. Central – 1985 (4 townhomes)

Waterford Square, 5565 – 5591 Waterman – 1985 (36 Condominiums)
Waterford Square, 5565 – 5591 Waterman – 1985 (36 Condominiums)

Fru-Con and Fru-Con Center

German engineering firm Bilfinger-Berger bought a substantial stake in employee-owned Fru-Con in 1978 and purchased the rest in 1984. By the time Bilfinger’s US operations were acquired by UK’s Balfour Beatty in 2019, all operations had been moved away from the St. Louis area.

Fru-Con Center (above) was designed by HOK and dedicated in December of 1982. It was demolished in 2005.

Fru-Con Center II was built across Clarkson Road in 1989 and stands today.

Woodbine Center, 407 S. Kirkwood Road – 1986

200 N. Brentwood – 1986 (10 Condominiums)

Richmond Place, 23 Topton Way – 1998 (10 Condominiums)

Shaw Park Place, 15 Topton Way – 2001 (14 Condominiums)

Villas of Clayton Gardens, 143 – 159 Gay Avenue – 2005 (9 Townhomes)

Dogtown Walk 6929 Waldemar – 2004 (12 Townhomes)

24th Ward Alderman Tom Bauer campaigned with pet donkeys named Scotty and, after Scotty’s passing, Dan. Although denser redevelopment of single-family lots was controversial, it was a commercial project that led to his 2005 recall.

Gaslight Square, 4257-63, 4129-37 & 4210-26 Olive – 2005/06 (13 Townhomes)
Gaslight Square, 4257-63, 4129-37 & 4210-26 Olive – 2005/06 (13 Townhomes)

Cameo Condominiums, 7707 Shirley – 2008 (9 Condominiums)

801 S. Skinker

801 S. Skinker was built in 1961 to designs by Herbert Wahlmann. Wahlmann and Richard Hafner were partners in Architectural Design Associates, which also designed Northwest Plaza and Le Chateau Village and did work on Crestwood Plaza as well.

Maryland East, 4228 – 4234 and 4233 Maryland – 2017 – 22 (5 houses)

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Built St. Louis

About the podcast

Built St. Louis is dedicated to the stories of St. Louis’ place and St. Louis as a place. While not as satisfying as exploring these places on foot or bicycle, the podcast aims to inform our explorations and perhaps explain how St. Louis came to be the place it is.

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