Von Maur Department Stores Continue Construction at
The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis



First Store in Missouri for One of Nation’s Oldest Department Store Chains
LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO. – Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur Department Stores continues construction of its first store in Missouri at The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis lifestyle center in Lake Saint Louis, Mo. Davis Street Land Company is the developer of the 64-acre enclave that debuted in August 2008 at Lake Saint Louis Boulevard and Interstate 64 (I-64).
Founded in 1872, Von Maur is one of the oldest and most successful department store chains in the country.  It has selected St. Louis-based S.M. Wilson to build the two-story, 124,000-square-foot building it has designed for The Meadows. The store will be Von Maur’s 25th overall and first in Missouri.  The retailer projects that the store will employ approximately 225 people when it opens in September 2010.
“We are excited about our growth and look forward to joining a great mix of retailers at The Meadows. Working with developers focused on providing customers with a unique, quality shopping experience is a natural partnership for us,” says Jim von Maur, president. “We’re pleased to bring our long-standing commitment to service and quality merchandise to metro St. Louis.”
Family-owned for more than 130 years, Von Maur carries a full line of leading men’s, women’s and children’s fashions, as well as shoes, accessories and gifts.  The store is known for its superior customer service, interest-free charge accounts and free gift-wrapping and delivery anywhere in the United States.  Von Maur currently operates 24 stores in nine other states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio.  It also offers an E-commerce site at www.vonmaur.com.             
The department store will complement over 30 other upscale retailers and eateries already found at The Meadows.  Ultimately, the center will host 500,000 square feet of retail space woven in a pedestrian-friendly “downtown” grid marked by water features, landscaped boulevards and outdoor gathering spaces.
The Meadows is owned, leased and managed by Davis Street in partnership with Bruce Johnston, a lifetime resident of St. Louis with more than 25 years of retail real estate experience.  Based in Evanston, Ill., Davis Street Land Company is a privately held real estate company focused on both the development and ownership of upscale specialty centers located in suburban and urban settings.  The principals of the company are responsible for such unique retail properties as Plaza Frontenac and The Shops at Clarkson Corner in St. Louis, Renaissance Place and Orland Park Crossing in Chicago, The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, Tenn. and The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert, Calif.  To learn more, visit www.dslandco.com.