Artisan’s Inn is an exquisite historic property being redeveloped and curated by Lucía Landa and her husband, Joe Duggan, on nearly five acres of beautiful wooded grounds near the St. Louis International Airport and only 20 minutes from the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis. Its centerpiece is a carefully preserved and stunningly furnished and decorated manor house built to designs of Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Homes between 1910 and 1912, Stickley’s heyday.
Next to the manor house, sharing street frontage and a rolling lawn with massive oak trees, is a smaller Craftsman bungalow in the same architectural style as the main house, including a Stickley Craftsman fireplace matching the fireplace of the manor house. It is in excellent condition and is in the process of being restored to its original glory as a companion to the main house.
Location: In suburban St. Louis, Missouri, very close to the international airport and major global corporate headquarters. Convenient to top universities. Six miles (8 minutes) from St. Louis-Lambert International Airport; 13 miles (20 minutes) from Busch Stadium and the Gateway Arch in the heart of downtown St. Louis; 2 miles (6 minutes) from Express Scripts world headquarters; 2.5 miles (6 minutes) from Boeing Defense and Space headquarters; 3 miles (7 minutes) from Emerson Electric world headquarters; 3 miles (6 minutes) from University of Missouri-St. Louis; 12 miles (17 minutes) from Washington University in St. Louis; 12 miles (20 minutes) from Saint Louis University.
Development vision: The entire 4.8 acre estate is in an Opportunity Zone designated by the U.S. Treasury Department pursuant to the December 2017 federal tax reform legislation. The four houses on the park-like campus could earn revenue as boutique lodging and could be rented jointly or separately depending on the size of the party wishing to stay in the homes. The estate has ample land to build additional buildings for guest suites and rooms as well as meeting and entertainment spaces. The entire campus, especially if augmented by new construction as described above, would be ideal for corporate meetings and retreats, as well as wedding receptions and other special family events. The property, in a residential neighborhood, is eligible for special municipal zoning, permitting commercial operations including lodging and entertainment.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the manor house and the bungalow have been maintained lovingly by all of their owner-occupants. There has never been a major modification from the original design and fabric of either house; both appear inside and outside as they did when they were built.
Behind the manor house and bungalow are spacious lawns, fruit and walnut trees, a large vegetable garden and hen house and a wooded area. Beyond this is a 1940s-era farm house with dormer windows on a large tract including wooded coves, a creek and a secluded pasture. The “farm” tract alone is 1.8 acres, including the pasture of almost a full acre. In the opposite direction – across the street on a corner lot in front of the manor house -- is a ranch-style house built in 1950 on an attractive one-third acre lot with a level lawn and sheltered by mature trees. Both of these houses call for complete renovation. Artisan’s Inn envisions rehabbing the farm house into a roadhouse-style hideaway for lodging, while transforming the plain rectangular American ranch house into a Mexican colonial-style ranch house with arches and tiles and a romantic flair – “El Ranchito.” The total contiguous area of the entire estate including all four houses is 4.8 acres.
Incentives for investors and operational partners: The entire property is within a newly designated Opportunity Zone, the tax incentive program created by the federal tax reform legislation of December 2017. Other federal and state tax incentives may be available. Because of the size of the land tract and the envisioned uses, the property is eligible for flexible, customized adaptations of land use zoning in cooperation with the planning department of the local municipal government. The property directly borders on a federal-government recognized National Register of Historic Places District consisting of numerous well-kept historic homes in styles including Victorian and Craftsman. The property is well qualified to make successful application for listing on the National Register should that be determined advantageous for investment and operations because of the prospect of federal and state historic preservation tax credits.
Social impact: Potential for positive social impact is extraordinary. The property is in the old St. Louis “railroad suburb” of Ferguson – a community that suffered a devastating attack on its reputation through the “viral” media coverage of civil unrest there in 2014. The truth about Ferguson is that it is a socially and economically diverse community with a loyal citizenry devoted to improving opportunities and the quality of life for Ferguson’s own residents and the larger St. Louis metropolitan area. Ferguson is most likely the most successful example of a racially integrated community in all of metropolitan St. Louis. Ferguson’s population is 21,000 – or less than one percent of the entire St. Louis metro area – and yet it is one of the largest of the nearly 100 municipalities in suburban St. Louis County. Ferguson is home to churches, art galleries, boutiques, accredited public schools, two Catholic parish schools, and the northern campus of St. Louis Community College.
Artisan’s Inn is three short blocks from the Historic Downtown Ferguson business district, with many of the best restaurants in the vicinity of the St. Louis International Airport and nearby major global corporate headquarters. It’s also only three blocks from a remarkable landmark in social entrepreneurship – EarthDance Organic Farm School. This non-profit institution a few years ago acquired the oldest continuously operating all-organic farm west of the Mississippi River. The Mueller family owned and operated the 14-acre farm from the 1880s until selling to EarthDance. EarthDance now conducts a growing-season-long apprenticeship program – something akin to an executive MBA for organic farming. Award-winning chefs, caterers and restaurateurs from St. Louis’ acclaimed culinary scene are among those who have studied and farmed in the apprenticeship program. EarthDance also conducts programs for children and teenagers in Ferguson and the neighboring communities to teach farming and environmental stewardship methods. Artisan’s Inn and EarthDance Organic Farm School are committed to promoting one another’s success as well as the well-being of the entire Ferguson community.
Founding owners: Lucía Landa and her husband, Joseph Duggan. Lucía is a designer and marketing executive. She had a long and productive career in her native Mexico City, providing leadership in marketing and service solutions for multinational companies and the United States Embassy. Joe is embarking on a new career back in his native city of St. Louis after a previous life in international diplomacy, federal government policy, and business. He worked in the White House as a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush and in the State Department in President Reagan’s administration. Immediately before moving to St. Louis in 2015, Lucía and Joe lived in Saudi Arabia for six years while Joe worked as a public relations executive for Aramco, the world’s largest oil company. He leads a public affairs consulting firm and is an active angel investor in St. Louis technology startup companies.
Our vision – and yours too, if you join the endeavor as an investor, vendor, operating partner or guest:
· Sustainable, long-term economic, cultural, and social development in Ferguson and the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area.
· Historic and environmental preservation.
· Joy for our guests.
· Surprise for a skeptical and misinformed world by making Ferguson a go-to destination for lovers of nature, history and architectural beauty.
· Profits for investors.
