Not long ago, the plan for 121 S. Meramec Avenue was a new tower. In 2025 the St. Louis Business Journal reported that Revive Capital Development had dropped a planned $106 million apartment tower in Clayton and chose to restore the historic Seven-Up building instead. On Tuesday, October 6, crews broke ground on that restoration: a $55 million conversion of the former 7UP world headquarters into The Upton, a building of 118 apartments.
The 1964 building gets to stay, and so do the elevated plaza, the fountain and the copper-clad walls that people walking to Shaw Park have passed for decades. A few blocks north on Maryland Avenue, another former headquarters campus is going to an arts company that plans a garden setting there. Clayton's corporate-era sites are being given new residential and civic uses, and the new housing density is going up on what used to be parking.
A Mid-Century Office Tower With a Pop-Culture Past
The 11-story building was finished in 1964 and served as 7UP's world headquarters during the brand's defining era. Inside it, the company worked with the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson on the "Uncola" campaign. Commercial Observer places that campaign's launch here in 1968.
After 7UP moved to Dallas, St. Louis County bought the building in 1988 to house its World Trade Center. Later it sat empty for more than a decade while several redevelopment proposals came and went. Earlier concepts called for tearing it down and putting up a new high-rise. The plan now under construction keeps the structure and its architectural character while the interior is reworked for apartments.
Why Keeping It Won
Money is a big part of the answer. Revive Capital Development and KAI Design + Build secured $48.25 million in construction financing, and according to Commercial Observer, the package includes tax credits for historic rehabilitation. Octagon Finance made the loan, and its head of originations, Zach Bubrosky, told the publication what those credits require in return:
"When you're doing these historic tax credit projects, you have to maintain the historic integrity of the building."
That condition shapes what residents will see from the sidewalk. Bubrosky also noted in that article that the finished building will display pictures of various 7Up bottles. He pointed to the companies headquartered in Clayton, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Centene Corporation, Emerson Electric and Graybar, as a source of demand.
What Stays on the Plaza
Most residents know this property by its outdoor plaza rather than its office floors. The project team plans to restore that plaza, not replace it. Here is what the work keeps and repairs, as described in REJournals' groundbreaking report:
- The concrete planters, the fountain and the copper-clad retaining walls of the elevated plaza, with updated landscaping, new planters, better sidewalks, more street trees and code-compliant railings.
- The brick and precast concrete exterior, which will be repaired, repointed, tuckpointed and waterproofed.
- The copper fascia, which will be restored.
- The look of the windows and curtain wall. Deteriorated units will be replaced with materials that respect the original design.
HDA is the architect of record. It is working with lead designer Chris Cedergreen, and Kent Wagster of HDA is on the design team. Kansas City-based Revive Capital Development leads the project, and KAI Build manages construction. Inside, the floors will become studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, with interiors by Kansas City's ISOM Collective. Planned amenities include a fitness center, club room, heated outdoor spa, theater space, billiards, a private resident speakeasy, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and a private dog park with a dog wash. First Alert 4 reported that St. Louis-based 2B Residential will manage the property.
The Same Pattern on Maryland Avenue
The 7Up building isn't the only former headquarters site in downtown Clayton headed for a new use. On December 19, 2025, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis closed on 6.67 acres at 8300 Maryland Avenue, the former Caleres headquarters campus, and announced plans for a performing-arts center that the company will own and operate. Opera Theatre's announcement describes a multi-year process shaped by community input and says the company will work with the City of Clayton on permits and design approvals.
For the company, this ends a very long wait. General Director Andrew Jorgensen told St. Louis Magazine, "We've been talking about the need for a new performing arts center for 49 of our 50 years." He described the project as a performing arts center rather than an opera house. The goal is a space that other arts organizations can use in the months outside the summer festival. He also told the magazine he wants to keep the pre-show picnics that are part of the company's tradition, which means creating a garden setting on the Maryland Avenue site.
Like the plaza on Meramec, that garden would set aside open ground in a downtown that is otherwise filling in. Clayton Mayor Michelle Harris said in a statement to St. Louis Magazine that a performing arts center "has long been a priority for residents and city leaders."
Where the New Construction Is Going
Downtown Clayton is getting new buildings too, but they are going up on parking. The southeast corner of Maryland Avenue and Topton Way, until recently a surface parking lot, is the site of Arqué. It is a six-story condominium building with retail on the ground floor, developed by the Mehlman family and designed by Core10 Architects. Ladue News identifies the developer as Mehlman Family Development.
According to CityScene STL, the plan calls for:
- 29 condominiums of 2,470 to 3,150 square feet, six per floor on floors two through five and five on the top floor
- 5,689 square feet of ground-floor retail
- 36 parking spaces for retail customers and visitors, plus 63 basement spaces reserved for condo owners
Core10 is based in the Central West End and has designed several new condo buildings in Clayton, along with the M1 Bank headquarters. The St. Louis Business Journal reported in October that site preparation is underway on the $40 million project, with completion expected by late 2028.
Three Sites at a Glance
| Site | What it was | What's planned | Where it stands this November |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 S. Meramec Ave. | 7UP world headquarters, then St. Louis County's World Trade Center | The Upton, 118 apartments with a restored plaza and fountain | Broke ground October 6, 2026 |
| 8300 Maryland Ave. | Caleres headquarters campus | Opera Theatre of Saint Louis performing-arts center | Purchased December 19, 2025; city permits and design approvals still ahead |
| Maryland Ave. and Topton Way | Surface parking lot | Arqué, 29 condos over ground-floor retail | Site prep underway; completion expected late 2028 |
Taken together, the three sites show a clear division. The 7Up landmark is being restored, the Caleres campus is going to an arts company that plans a garden setting, and the added housing density goes onto ground that was already paved.
Next Summer's Opera Stays in Webster Groves
The Maryland Avenue campus is a long-range project. In the meantime, Opera Theatre's next festival keeps its usual home. The company's 2027 season announcement sets the festival for May 22 through June 27, 2027. Its listing for La traviata gives the venue as the Loretto-Hilton Center at Webster University. Clayton residents with tickets will spend at least one more June picnicking on the Webster campus while the plans for Maryland Avenue move through the city.
At the 7Up building, construction is now underway behind the fountain and copper walls that the restoration is meant to keep.
At The Warner Hall Group, we spend our days thinking about what keeps an older building's character as it moves into its next use, whether that building is a mid-century landmark or a brick Colonial on a Clayton side street. If you own a home with a history and want to know how to present that history well when it's time to sell, request a private consultation.
