Barnes-Jewish opens Plaza West Tower on site of former Queeny Tower

Barnes-Jewish Hospital has completed a major chapter in its long-running campus renewal with the Plaza West Tower, a new 16-story patient care building rising where the aging Queeny Tower once stood. The 660,000 SF facility is designed to expand capacity for complex care, modernize inpatient workflows, and improve the experience for patients and families on Washington University’s medical campus.

Plaza West houses roughly 280 private inpatient rooms — 224 acute care and 56 intensive-care rooms — across seven inpatient floors, plus more than 100 surgical prep/recovery bays and an advanced imaging platform that includes MRI, CT, and interventional radiology suites. The tower also features family-focused amenities such as rooftop gardens, a two-story glass-enclosed lobby, a large family lounge with a business center and quiet rooms, and a new kitchen and cafeteria serving the south campus. BJC and WashU Medicine expect the building to relieve regional demand for specialized heart, vascular, and other high-acuity services.

The project was delivered as a design-build collaboration led by McCarthy Building Companies, which served as the design-build contractor and construction lead. CannonDesign served as architect and interior designer; BR+A provided consulting engineering; Thornton Tomasetti handled structural engineering; Castle Contracting led civil work; and landscape design was provided by DTLS. Early demolition and disentanglement work on the Queeny Tower site was notable for its complexity and was performed by firms experienced in live-campus demolition and utility relocation.

That integrated team employed modern health-care design approaches — private-room layouts to reduce infection risk, dedicated ICU floors, and finishes and acoustical strategies aimed at lowering noise and improving rest and recovery. The exterior vocabulary takes cues from neighboring campus buildings, pairing ultra-high performance concrete panels with a limestone podium and a prominent glass projection that visually connects the hospital to nearby Forest Park.

Construction milestones included a topping-out ceremony in mid-2024 and phased site work that preserved adjacent clinical operations while crews demolished the obsolete Queeny Tower and built the new facility. Local and regional contractors handled civil, utility, and site logistics to manage one of the largest single capital investments on the campus in recent years. BJC and WashU Medicine moved forward with a careful commissioning and staffing plan to bring the tower online for patients in late 2025.

Plaza West is the latest visible sign of a decade-long campus renewal effort to replace aging infrastructure with facilities built for contemporary care delivery, research-informed clinical models, and the patient-centered expectations of the communities the medical campus serves.

---

Header image: The newly completed 16-story Plaza West Tower replacing the aging Queeny Tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is set to open in October. Image | Barnes-Jewish Hospital

LOCAL on Delmar set to transform the Delmar Loop with modern mixed-use living

Subtext, a national real estate company dedicated to enhancing the resident experience, and Brinkmann Contractors, a national design/build construction management company, recently marked the beginning of vertical construction for LOCAL on Delmar, a five-story multifamily development in University City. A groundbreaking event was held at 6650 Delmar Blvd., drawing key community leaders and project stakeholders, including University City Mayor Terry Crow.

Designed to address the growing demand for housing in the area, LOCAL on Delmar will introduce 259 residential units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with townhomes that open onto Delmar Blvd. The development spans 398,225 SF and will include a five-story parking garage with 399 spaces, along with 7,100 SF of street-level retail space to enhance the vibrancy of the Delmar Loop.

Construction began in September 2024, with completion expected by summer 2026. The project is positioned to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding community, catering to residents, students, and professionals with its modern design and proximity to Washington University, Downtown Clayton, and Forest Park. The inclusion of preserved art and architectural elements further connects the project to the area's cultural heritage.

Above: A street view rendering of LOCAL on Delmar mixed-use development under construction in University City, Mo. Image courtesy of Subtext

Residents will have access to 12,000 SF of shared amenities designed to support a balanced lifestyle. Features include a club room with entertainment spaces, a work-from-home hub with private and collaborative areas, a wellness suite with meditation and sauna rooms, a gym with indoor and outdoor fitness options, a yoga studio, and a pool terrace with grilling stations, cabanas, and fire pits.

LOCAL on Delmar represents a significant investment in University City, reinforcing efforts to foster sustainable growth and enhance quality of life. With its prime location at the intersection of Delmar Blvd. and Leland Ave., the development is expected to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the Delmar Loop while providing much-needed housing options for the community.

Brinkmann Constructors is the general contractor, and ESG Architecture & Design is leading the design efforts. Regional financial and engineering firms are additional partners contributing to the project's execution.

LOCAL on Delmar marks Subtext's second major development in St. Louis, following the successful completion of VERVE St. Louis near Saint Louis University in 2021. The company remains committed to delivering thoughtfully designed residential projects that elevate the living experience for their residents.

---

Header image: The recent groundbreaking ceremony for the mixed-use development LOCAL on Delmar held at 6650 Delmar Blvd. in University City. Photo Credit: Mark Wiemers