Built St. Louis

Episode 4: Barry Nelson

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Architect and sometime developer Barry Nelson reflects on more than a half-century of building in St. Louis.

Barry Nelson spoke with Built St. Louis on October 17, 2025.

The Sevens Building, 7777 Bonhomme – 1971

230 S. Bemiston – 1963

Parkway North High School – 1971

White Oak Townhomes, 7751-59 Kingsbury – 1980

Warson Commerce Center, 10401 Baur Boulevard-1987

11605 Studt Avenue – 1981

Essex Place, 120 W. Essex – 1981

139 N. Central – 1983 (16 condominiums)

149 N. Central – 1985 (4 townhomes)

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

Fru-Con Center – built 1982, demolished 2005

Fru-Con Center was designed by HOK.

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 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)

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)

Lafayette Reserve, 2200 Block of Hickory – 2022-2026 (14 Attached and Detached Homes)

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