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Old homes are coming down to make way for new in the Clayton Gardens, Old Town and Clayshire neighborhoods in Clayton, according to Catherine Powers, director of planning and development for the city.
The newest projects will be going up on Langton Drive in Clayshire. Doug Cohen of developer Douglas Properties said that an existing home on a double lot would be demolished and two homes built on the property Powers said applications for the construction of the new homes have been submitted to the city and are scheduled to be reviewed by the city's Plan Commission in May. Cohen said construction could begin within 30 days of the commission's approval. Each new home will be priced at about $799,900.
With developable land becoming more and more scarce in the eastern part of St. Louis County, several municipalities are looking at ways to redevelop existing properties.
"(Teardowns) are popular in areas where there's not much land left to develop," said Shelly Stengel, vice president of public affairs with the Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis. "People are taking it upon themselves. Rather than moving farther out, they're knocking something down."
Though teardowns only account for a small percentage of housing starts, Stengel said this trend has gained momentum in the last five to 10 years in areas where land is tight, such as Clayton, Frontenac, Ladue and Creve Coeur.
One of the companies currently involved in several teardown projects in Clayton is Saaman Corp. Founded in 1985, Saaman buys more than 200 homes a year and each...