In Clayton's Condo Market, Your House Sale Sets the Timeline
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
A household that sells its house this winter and wants a Clayton condo will find its choices set by its timeline more than its budget. Three kinds of condo are on offer in Clayton this fall: older resale buildings available now, a new building that is finished, and a new building that won't be ready for about two more years. Each one fits a different moment in the sale of a house.
Developers are building these projects for the buyer who usually has a house to sell. In a 2019 profile of the family's Topton Way project, Town&Style reported that Debi Mehlman described the target buyer as someone looking for "lock the door and leave" convenience. That buyer's biggest decision is rarely which finishes to pick. The bigger decision is which date to commit to.
| Option | When you can move in | Building scale | What's public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established resale buildings | When a unit is listed and closes | 30 to 101 units per building | Names, addresses, unit counts |
| Forsythia on the Park | Now, per the developer | 38 residences, four stories | Amenities, tour scheduling |
| ARQUÉ at Maryland and Topton | Completion expected late 2028 | 29 residences, six stories | Sizes, parking, appointment requests |
Each row has its own risk. Resale depends on what's listed when you need it. Forsythia depends on which units are still available. ARQUÉ depends on a construction schedule that runs past two more winters.
ARQUÉ is planned for the southeast corner of Maryland Avenue and Topton Way, on what CityScene STL described in November 2025 as a surface parking lot. The proposal called for six stories, with 29 condos ranging from 2,470 to 3,150 square feet. Floors two through five have six homes each, and the sixth floor has five. Core10 Architects designed it for the Mehlman family, who also developed The Pearl on Topton Way.
In December 2025, the St. Louis Business Journal reported that the estimated $40 million condo building on part of Caleres' Clayton headquarters campus had received city approval. On October 7, 2026, the Business Journal followed up with a headline citing early sales driven by luxury condo demand. It reported that site preparation was underway and that the developers expect to finish the building by late 2028.
The parking plan shows who the building is designed for. The proposal puts 63 basement spaces, all reserved for condo owners, under 29 homes. That's more than two spaces per household. Another 36 spaces on the ground floor serve 5,689 square feet of retail space and its visitors. A two-car household with 3,000 square feet of furniture is a household leaving a house. The ARQUÉ site lists heated resident parking, private terraces, and a rooftop garden. It invites prospective purchasers and brokers to register or book an appointment, and it doesn't publish a price list.
For a seller, signing up for a building due in late 2028 means the house sale and the move happen at different times. Either the house sells close to delivery, which means holding it for about two more years, or it sells sooner and the household needs somewhere to live in between. Deposits, contract terms, and contingencies vary from project to project and from contract to contract. Treat what you read here as general information, not legal or financial advice, and review any purchase agreement with your attorney and lender before you sign.
Forsythia removes the waiting period. HDA reports that the building is complete: four stories, 155,500 square feet, and 38 two- and three-bedroom residences. In 2024, MetroWire Media identified Midas Hospitality as the owner, HDA as the architect, and BSI Constructors as the general contractor.
The Forsythia site now offers tours of "turn-key, ready-for-move-in residences." It lists valet parking, a front-desk attendant, a fitness center, and an outdoor lounge, and it points to Straub's and Shaw Park within walking distance. For a seller whose house is already under contract, that's the main appeal. The new home and the closing can line up in the same season.
The trade-off is that the building is a fixed set of homes. Thirty-eight residences is a small building, and the floor plans still available when your house sells are the ones you'll be choosing from.
Much of Clayton's condo stock sits in established buildings along South Hanley Road, South Brentwood Boulevard, Maryland Avenue, and Carondelet Plaza. The Clayton Condo Building Association member roster includes:
Several of these buildings have two to three times as many homes as either new project. That's the advantage for a seller. A larger pool of homes means units come up for sale on the market's schedule, not a builder's, so a buyer can make an offer whenever the house sale makes it possible.
The regional condo market has moved in the resale buyer's favor. St. Louis REALTORS' September 2026 housing report, current as of October 5, covers townhouses and condos across the association's whole service area. It isn't a Clayton-only count. For September 2026, it shows:
Clayton's luxury buildings trade far above that regional median, so the dollar figure says little about Clayton. The direction of the other numbers matters more. Longer selling times and more listings across the region mean condo sellers face more competition than they did a year ago. A buyer with a house sale in progress tends to need time more than anything else, and longer selling times give that buyer more of it. A preconstruction buyer gets nothing from this softness, because a delivery date in late 2028 stays the same whatever the market does in the meantime.
For a household that sells before its condo is ready, Clayton's rental supply is getting bigger. KAI Build and Revive Capital Development announced a $55 million conversion of the former 7UP headquarters at 121 South Meramec into The Upton, an 11-story building with 118 apartments. The announcement set the groundbreaking for October 6 and forecast completion in the second quarter of 2027. FOX 2 covered the plan on September 30. If that schedule holds, apartments in downtown Clayton would open more than a year before ARQUÉ's expected completion.
Is ARQUÉ pricing published? Not on the project's public site, which takes registrations and appointment requests from prospective purchasers and brokers.
Do the September market figures describe Clayton specifically? No. They cover townhouses and condos across St. Louis REALTORS' whole service area, so they show the region's direction, not prices in Clayton buildings.
Has the Mehlman family built condos on Topton Way before? Yes. Ladue News reported that the family developed The Pearl, at 47 and 51 Topton Way, through a family joint venture. Core10, the architect behind ARQUÉ, also designed The Pearl.
If you're weighing a Clayton condo against the sale of your current house, Susan Hurley Homes can help you line up the two dates. We can prepare and market your house with Compass Concierge and time the sale to whichever of the three options fits. Request a Complimentary Consultation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
We’re more than a team of real estate professionals — we’re your partners in every step of the journey. Whether buying, selling, or relocating in St. Louis, our expertise, market insight, and dedication ensure a seamless experience and outstanding results.
