Business & Tech

High Ridge Commons Receives Official Kickoff

Walmart Supercenter is the anchor tenant for a 36-acre retail and residential development at High Ridge Boulevard and Highway 30

It took a Bobcat with a steel scoop to gouge out some rock at the High Ridge Commons retail development site Friday. What followed was a more traditional groundbreaking ceremony with representatives of Jefferson County, the Northwest R-1 School District, the High Ridge Fire Department and the North Jefferson County Ambulance District on hand to scoop a small pile of dirt to officially kick off the long-awaited 36-acre retail and residential development that will be anchored by a 152,492 square-foot Walmart Supercenter. There also are plans for several other stores on the edges of the development ranging from 1,500 to 17,150 square feet in size. The residential portion of High Ridge Commons will consist of 200 acres of single family homes.

High Ridge Commons located at Highway 30 and High Ridge Boulevard is expected to generate from 650 to 750 new jobs by the time everything opens next August, according to Michael Staenberg, presient of THF Realty, the developer of the project.

Another benefit, according to proponents of the project is that sales taxes collected at High Ridge Commons will stay in Jefferson County, instead of Jefferson County shoppers paying sales taxes elsewhere, particularly at the sprawling Gravois Bluffs retail development in Fenton just a few miles east on Highway 30.

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It was a point emphasized by Jefferson County Councilman Charles Groeteke. "people often drive to St. Louis County to purchase basic necessities," he said. "Jefferson County is a first class county and deserves to have first class shopping opportunities.

THF Realty is the developer of High Ridge Commons, which will be the company's 19th owned and operated property in Missouri. Staenberg was credited with persistence in seeing the High Ridge Commons development through to fruition.

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""All I can say is 'We did it," said Brian Haskins, a member of the High Ridge Fire Department board of directors, as well as a Northwest School District board member. "A lot of people said 'Why High Ridge?' Well, we had a vision, opportunity and good people. It's been an Olympian effort to get this project to this point.

The next steps are to build the stores.Staenberg says the center is expected to open next summer.

 


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