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The town homes at Mississippi Bluffs have five outdoor spaces. There are two balconies and one patio overlooking the river and two decks on the western elevation looking into the 6.2 acre private park. In choosing the best material for these spaces, the developer considered aesthetics and as well as durability.

Ipe Wood, or Brazilian Walnut, also known as Ironwood, is the superior choice for decking. Ipe Decking is naturally resistant to rot and decay, is eight times harder than California Redwood, and has the highest rating for termite resistance.

This imported hardwood is the finest quality wood available for building outdoor decks, furniture and fencing. Ipe’s beauty and durability is a result of its extreme density. The Ipe deck is installed with a hidden fastener called the Ipe Clip. In traditional deck building, nails or screws pierce the individual deck boards in order to attach to the joists below. The Ipe Clip, however allows the deck boards to be attached to each other and the joists without having to comprise the integrity of any of the boards. This contributes to the lifetime durability of the deck, because it prevents water from working its way into the interior of the deck boards.

Furthermore, Ipe has a class A fire rating, the same rating given to concrete & steel.

Ground was broken for the first building ten months ago in late summer of 2007 and the first occupants will move in mid-June of 2008. This 34-unit cluster development sits a top the bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River. Site development here was taken very seriously. Of the 8.2 acres that could be developed, 6.2 will remain protected green space. Two issues were paramount in the development process. First it was important that the buildings not overwhelm the site. Second, the buildings themselves each had to have a good relationship the land and the river. The vision was to create buildings that seemed as natural on the site as the 6.2-acre park and the river below. The architect and developer worked for months to create a classic, linear Mid-western architecture that suited the site as well as the surrounding neighborhood.

There will be four total buildings on the site. The first two building will have 8 units and the second two buildings will have 9 units, totaling 34 fee-simple town homes. There are three floor plans in all. Each town home will feature two bedroom suites on the top level and a possible third bedroom, media room or third suite in the lower level. The main living area of each unit will have a dining room, kitchen and living room. And each unit will have a two-car garage. Each town home boasts four decks and one patio. Three of these outdoor areas will overlook the Mississippi River and two will overlook the 6.2-acre park to the west. Two of the three floor plans will also accommodate a private elevator. On every level the views of the Mississippi fill the home. Keeping with the natural state of the site, the interiors reflect the majesty and simplicity of the river itself.

Mike Curran has been a St. Louis City resident for 28 years. He has renovated over 100 city buildings helping to revive many neighborhoods by providing affordable and market rate housing. In addition he has built new construction homes in Dogtown and Forest Park Southeast. His most notable projects to date are the Virginia School House historic restoration and the Historic Steins Row Houses. Both of these developments were completed according to Missouri State Historical standards and utilized state historic tax credits.

Currently, Mississippi Bluffs is Curran’s primary focus. Mississippi Bluffs is a cluster development of new construction town homes, 34 in all. With this project, Curran saw the potential to help St. Louis redefine its relationship to the riverfront. The river is the reason St. Louis flourished in the first place and reinvigorating the riverfront with a quality residential development was a challenge the developer eagerly and respectfully accepted.