$37M Mixed-Use Cortex Development Breaks Ground

Keeley Properties has broken ground on the Cortex Innovation District's first new‑construction residential project, which has been in the works for years.

Located at 4108 Clayton Ave. near the Cortex MetroLink station, the mixed-use development, named Iris, will have ground-floor retail space and 174 apartments, 17 of which will be classified as affordable housing.

The project is a $37.4 million development, a Cortex spokesperson said Tuesday.

Keeley Properties expects to complete the project and begin leasing in the first quarter of 2028. 

Swansea-based Holland Construction Services is the general contractor. Arcturis, a St. Louis-based architecture firm, is the project's architect of record and Cedergreen, another St. Louis-based firm is its design lead.

“This project is designed to complement the energy of the District — contributing the housing and amenities needed to support Cortex’s continued evolution into an 18‑hour neighborhood," Keeley Properties' President Jason Braidwood said.