CONRAD PROPERTIES BEGINS PRE-SALES AT MARYLAND WALK: 17-STORY, $75 MILLION HIGH-RISE IN CLAYTON

ST. LOUIS - Conrad Properties Corp. is opening pre-sales to the general public today at Maryland Walk, its stunning new addition to the Clayton skyline. The pioneering 17-story, $75-million residential building - which will introduce the "vertical neighborhood" concept to metro St. Louis - will rise at 8025 Maryland Ave.

"With a choice of three distinctive home styles in a single location, there is really nothing like Maryland Walk in metro St. Louis," said Bob Saur, chairman of Conrad Properties. "The building will make a powerful architectural statement."

Inside, Maryland Walk will host:

Street Level: 8,000 square feet of retail and a 3,200-square-foot controlled access lobby.

Levels Two - Nine: A projected 71 "Boulevard Homes" - sophisticated, open-plan designs that embody urban chic. The residences will have 11-foot-ceilings and offer 950 to 2,400 square feet. Base prices start at $289,000.

Levels 10 - 15: A projected 30 "Parkway Condominiums" - graciously elegant plans with 10-foot-ceilings and 1,872 to 3,330 square feet. These units start at $649,000.

Levels 16 and 17: A maximum of six "Avenue Penthouses"- literally city estates in the sky. Working from spatial templates that currently range from 3,319 to 4,459 square feet, owners will be free to comprehensively custom-design penthouse interiors. Penthouses may be combined, and will be priced upon request.

Designed by St. Louis-based Saur & Associates Architects, the rose-colored brick building will be accented by panels of blue-green glass and a series of architectural trellises hosting landscaped arbors. The main cul-de-sac entrance will feature a brick-paved courtyard centered by a glass-topped port-cochere.

An on-site manager/concierge and staff will cater to residents, with the building to include a:

heated, controlled access lower level parking garage;
rooftop garden with three private party rooms and kitchen facilities;
elaborate fitness center plus outdoor swimming pool and deck;
overnight suites that owners can reserve to accommodate out-of town guests;
media room with built-in seating and surround sound;
security intercom system plus closed circuit security monitoring;
climate controlled storage; and
cable/satellite television and high-speed Internet access.

Saur envisions that street-level commercial space will become an enclave of specialty boutique retailers.

For Saur, Maryland Walk will fulfill a lifelong dream. "The development is conceived to put a cross-section of St. Louis - one much broader and socially diverse than is typically found in a high-rise setting - under a single roof," he said. "The format also allows us to make high-rise living feasible to a wider spectrum of the marketplace. The factor that pleases me most about Maryland Walk is that a buyer can get into the building for $289,000. Considering the building's quality and location, I think that is a remarkable accomplishment."

The sales center, located at 8025 Maryland Ave., is open Sundays noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.