It’s wonderful to see lights on and action once again at the prominent corner of Euclid and Maryland now that Bluemercury, a high-end luxury beauty brand retailer, has opened.
The national chain, founded by D.C.-based Carla and Barry Beck in 1999 (the first store was located in Georgetown), was sold to Macy’s, Inc. in 2015. The Becks remain onboard as CEO and COO.
Learn more about what brands are available and which spa services are offered at Bluemercury, 2 Maryland Plaza, open Mon. – Sat. 10 to 7, Sun. 11 to 6.
Next door you may have noticed a For Lease sign on a space situated between Bluemercury and Busey Bank. Rumor has it that something is in the works. When the cat is officially out of the bag, I’ll let you know.
And down the block, Kendra Scott, a boutique specializing in jewelry, beauty, and home decor items, will open its second St. Louis location soon in the former Bissinger space at 32 Maryland Plaza. Kendra Scott also has a shop at Plaza Frontenac.
The Austin-based company was started in 2002 when Kendra Scott designed her 1st jewelry collection at home. The new shop will feature the Kendra Scott Color Bar, an interactive experience that allows customers to create custom jewelry in minutes and leave with it in-hand. The store will open with the goal of engaging philanthropically in the St. Louis community. The website states that the brand donates $5 million to charitable causes annually.
photo courtesy of Kendra Scott
Regional Marketing and Philanthropic Manager Anna Keenan emailed that they are very excited about the new store, the 106th retail location across the country. The 2000 s.f. space will “be absolutely stunning. It will look nothing like the Plaza Frontenac store, and we can’t wait to bring the new concept store to the St. Louis market.”
Look for the grand opening on November 22, when 20% of sales will go to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. On the 23rd there will be a special gift with purchase. More events and surprises are planned for the week following Thanksgiving.
If you’ve heard how well AG Jeans fit but haven’t yet tried them on, you have until November 17 to check them out. AG Jeans has announced that it is closing its Maryland Plaza location.
According to an employee I spoke with, the decision on the part of the corporate office has nothing to do with sales at this location, which have been strong since the store opened. Instead, the business owner wants to concentrate on larger stores in Los Angeles and New York. St. Louis isn’t in the new plan.
On a more positive note, Sam Koplar emailed that they hope to be announcing a new restaurant for the former ‘Scape space by year end.
The storied Tenderloin Room at The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel closed for renovations starting today, November 4, and will reopen under new ownership (Bob Brazell of Byrd & Barrell and Tamm Avenue Bar) in early December. Read more in Ian Froeb’s article in St. Louis Post-Dispatch here.
And finally, demolition is nearly complete on the former KPLR studio building (on York Avenue between Lindell and Maryland) to make way for an AC Hotel by Marriott. Construction on the $40 million, 162-room structure will begin in January. Koplar Properties and HomeBase Partners are developers of the project.
Interestingly, this new hotel is not viewed as competition by management of The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel. When plans were first presented, a Sonesta representative said they are delighted to have more hotel rooms next-door, which will enable them to attract larger conventions.
Andy Holloran, president of HomeBase Partners, said that “The Central West End is one of America’s great neighborhoods and we’re excited to bring a marquee property to a thriving neighborhood we love. Since we are proposing a limited service hotel, the Central West End’s walkable access to bars, restaurants, and shops makes it the ideal location for this type of property.”
