The number of residential housing permits recently issued in Union tell the story – new home construction is booming.
While Union has seen a strong number of residential building permits issued over the past year, Assistant City Administrator James Schmieder said it may be just the tip of an iceberg.
“When we look out there, the future projects look like they’re really strong, as well,” he said. “It’s not even just, ‘what have we issued the last 24 months?’ it’s, ‘what is still waiting to come down the pike?’ ”
The city received 129 new residential permits for single family homes in its fiscal year between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, Schmieder said. The city has maintained a similar pace since July 1, 2023, with 42 new single family residential permits issued.
“Things are pretty busy over here,” he said.
Two large developments are currently under construction in Union, including McBride Homes’ St. Andrews Meadows, east of Veterans Memorial Park, which will eventually have 153 homes. It is the first Union development for Chesterfield-based McBride, Missouri’s largest home builder.
“I was out visiting with the kids at the (Prairie Dell) elementary school today, and they told me that McBride has five houses that have popped up,” Schmieder said. “It’s all underway.”
Also under construction is Park Place by Union-based ELS Properties, located south of Highway 50 near East Central College. That will include 99 homes.
“They’re not even halfway through yet,” Schmieder said. “I was over looking out at Park Place development, they’ve got five or six brand new foundations going in and a new street that’s laid out. It looks fantastic.”
More developments are expected.
“A few others are waiting in the wings,” Schmieder said.
While he did not have exact figures, Schmieder said at least as many units of multifamily housing are either under construction or recently completed in Union. Many of those are going in near ECC, with some aimed at college students and others retirement communities.
Last year, the Board of Aldermen approved a 48-unit apartment complex on Progress Parkway, near Veterans Memorial Park, with 35 of them designated for people making less than 60 percent of median income.
The new housing is a sign of Union continuing its steady population growth. It increased from 7,757 residents in the 2000 Census to 10,204 in 2010 to 12,348 in 2020.
“I always tell my own personal story, I got hired with the city nine years ago and I moved out here seven years ago,” Schmieder said. “I think it’s just about the quality of life and good schools and good jobs and opportunities. I think it’s attractive to people that maybe are trying to escape the hustle and bustle of what St. Louis has to offer, an hour-long commute. Having lived it first hand, I have a lot more time today that I don’t spend an hour driving to work one way.”
The area also has a strong school district and good job opportunities, Schmieder added.
“We’re getting a lot of people that didn’t grow up here,” he said. “We’re getting a lot of people that lived in St. Louis and just kind of realized that maybe that wasn’t for them. Then you throw in a pandemic and some masking requirements or regulations that they might not be real happy about, and before you know it there’s a significant push to get out this way.”
Union has been able to add housing by increasing jobs available in and around the city. Schmieder said that, just since he came to Union, companies like EMJ Metals, Volpi Foods, Heat and Control, Buddeez, Silgan have arrived or expanded in Union. “Everybody’s expanding, everybody’s looking for workers,” he said.
Then there are jobs available elsewhere in the area, where people can commute from Union.
“Look at what Washington’s doing with their new job opportunities, and people have to live someplace,” Schmieder said. “They start to look around, Union looks like a pretty good place to go.”
While Union’s population growth has yet to bring the same kind of retail development that Washington has, Schmieder expects that to change.
“Back in the day, we talked a lot about rooftops and jobs, and that retail would follow along,” he said. “That seems to be the case. We’ve focused on the business opportunities, new companies, expansion opportunities within our existing companies and then job creation that goes along with that. And then, of course, people ask, ‘Well, where are we going to get the workers for the jobs?’ Well that’s where you start to create the neighborhoods, the rooftops that sustain those companies. You add those two factors in, now you’ve got a good job and a good place to live, and the retail is going to follow. And that’s what we’re seeing.”