Des Peres Dierbergs Aims to Make Mark in Region

An underground parking garage, cart escalators and a 5,000 square foot mezzanine are some of the features shoppers can expect to see when the Des Peres Dierbergs opens July 31.

HBD Construction is the general contractor for the project and has built seven Dierbergs in the past. The firm's eighth Dierbergs is the most revolutionary to date among the chain’s 24-hour stores, according to HBD President Mike Perry.

“To call it their flagship is probably an understatement,” Perry said in a statement.

The 80,000 square foot supermarket will boast the largest Dierbergs produce department, a new Dierbergs Florist & Gifts, an extensive Whole Life Foods section and a larger seafood department. The store also will house a coffee bar, test kitchen and offer residents in-store food-education opportunities.

But it’s what’s underneath the store that truly sets it apart from other supermarkets in the region.

The store will be the first supermarket in the St. Louis area to offer covered parking. The store will have a total of about 400 parking spaces, with nearly half of them located in the garage.

“This location will offer a smooth and dry one-of-a-kind shopping experience in inclement weather,” HBD Project Manager Gerry Hill said in a statement.

Patrons can park in the garage and take an escalator that can transport shopping carts to the store’s main level. The garage also will house a drive-through pharmacy and will have natural lighting and supplemental lighting, as well as security cameras.

Hill is a Dierbergs construction veteran. In high school, he helped his dad who was a contractor for the Lafayette Center Dierbergs in Ballwin. He said that constructing a grocery store is one of his favorite types of projects.

“All of the finishes for the different departments have unique elements and are mini-projects in themselves,” he said. “It’s very satisfying to see it all come together.”

To help the components of the Des Peres Dierbergs come together, HBD Construction is employing unionized Missouri workers. The Jacobs Group served as the design architects while Dawdy & Associates are serving as architect of record and working drawings.

Kirkwood Patch got a chance to go on a hard hat tour of the Des Peres Dierbergs last month. See photo gallery.