Washington University plans new project in Cortex

ST. LOUIS — Washington University has plans to transform a historic building into office and lab space in St. Louis’ Cortex innovation district.

The private college wants to build a roughly 54,000-square-foot addition to the existing U-shaped Goodwill Building on Forest Park Avenue and and Sarah Street. The project would span a little over 175,000 square feet in total, according to plans filed with the city of St. Louis.

Washington University bought the property, at 4140 Forest Park, in 2019 for $5.6 million from MERS Goodwill Industries. The university said at the time that it did not have a specific development planned. In March of this year, the city issued a $27 million building permit to an entity affiliated with the college, records show.

In a statement Thursday, university spokeswoman Sue Killenberg McGinn said the project is in the “predevelopment process” and that the design and tenant recruitment is ongoing.