A groundbreaking Tuesday will begin work on the final phase of the $250 million Highlands at Forest Park development.

The $51 million multifamily project, to be known as Encore at Forest Park, will be the last phase of Balke Brown Transwestern's 26-acre Highlands development. It's being built on the last three acres of vacant land at the site along Interstate 64/Highway 40. Balke Brown announced the final phase in November.

When completed, the five-story Encore will include 247 rental apartments.

More than 100 labor leaders, elected officials and community leaders are expected to attend a groundbreaking at 11 a.m. Tuesday at 5700 Highlands Plaza Drive, including Pat White, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Balke Brown Transwestern CEO Steve Brown; and Bruce Holland, CEO of Holland Construction, general contractor for the project.

Officials said the project is expected to generate an estimated 450,000 union construction hours.

The AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust, a commercial real estate trust fund, invested in the Encore project and its sister property, the 278-unit Cortona.

(Posted in the St. Louis Business Journal, June 28, 2016)