Jerri Stroud-St. Louis Dispatch

Cordish Co., the Cardinals' partner in developing Ballpark Village, has earned a reputation as a shrewd developer of urban developments over the last 25 years.

Cordish President David S. Cordish has been called "the king of urban makeovers," a man who drives a hard bargain but delivers fresh, vibrant developments, succeeding where others have failed.

The family-owned company has nearly 100 years of experience in property development, starting in its hometown, Baltimore. Louis Cordish began building apartments and offices there about 1910. His son, Paul, was active in the company until his death in 2003.

David Cordish's sons, Blake, Reed and Jonathan, are vice presidents. The corporate office also includes some other family members and a small, tightknit group of experts in entertainment, retailing, food service, gaming and hotel development.

As a private company, Cordish doesn't reveal its revenue or the value of its holdings, but its net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Andi Udris, the president of Kansas City's Union Station development, calls David Cordish "an urban development genius" who has the resources, contacts and commitment to turn moribund urban centers into thriving nests of nightlife, shopping, offices and urban living.

"He is a very hard bargainer, but when he tells you he's going to deliver, he delivers," said Udris, who recruited Cordish as the developer of the Kansas City Power & Light District. The $600 million project is under construction on the south side of Kansas City's downtown.

Bob Eury, president of Central Houston Inc., said David Cordish's leadership of the Urban Development Action Grant program under President Jimmy Carter piqued his interest in urban development through public-private partnerships. Since then, he has pursued projects in places that other developers avoid.

Cordish is among several Baltimore developers who were inspired by James Rouse, who began the redevelopment of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and later led the redevelopment of Union Station here.

Cordish also has been active in the Inner Harbor, a trendy part of downtown Baltimore. The company headquarters is in the Power Plant, an old electric generating station-turned-entertainment center.

Mixed-use projects like Ballpark Village are among the most risky in real estate development, said Christopher B. Leinberger, a visiting fellow in metropolitan policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"Most developers don't know how to do it," Leinberger said. "Cordish is the exception.

"The biggest risk is that you have to have critical mass," Leinberger continued.

The Cordish Co. "comes in with a large enough project that allows critical mass to be achieved very quickly," Leinberger said.

Leaders in other cities say the Cordish projects are jewels that have led other developers to take a new look at downtown.

Todd Cassidy, director of economic development at the Kentucky Department of Tourism, said Cordish worked with Louisville and state officials on revitalization of an urban mall that had no real hope of recovery.

The result, Fourth Street Live! is a $66 million entertainment and retail center that opened three years ago with nightclubs, bars, stores and entertainment venues. It features a Hard Rock Cafe, bowling and billiards centers and restaurants including Maker's Mark, a Cordish-developed eatery named for the bourbon brand.

Fourth Street Live! — combined with several other projects — has "completely turned downtown Louisville around," Cassidy said.

In Houston, Cordish has continued to expand Bayou Place despite the project's difficult site in the center of Houston's theater district, Eury said.

Bayou Place's movie theater is small compared to a nearby multiplex, but it's still regarded by some film buffs as the best place to see a movie, Eury said. Cordish also has found new restaurants to replace some that failed. He's begun developing offices and wants to add housing.

"It's an amazingly hard site," Eury said. But, he added, "they don't get rid of projects. That's a credit to them. They're not doing (projects) to flip them."

Leinberger, the Brookings Fellow, says St. Louis should embrace Cordish Co.'s vision for Ballpark Village if the city wants to prosper in the long run.

"If you don't offer this, you're not going to be in play and companies will go elsewhere," he said. "If you want to attract a creative class, you had better have a hip downtown or they aren't going to show up."

The Cordish Co. at a glance

Family-owned developer of shopping malls, entertainment and mixed use urban projects.

Top official: David S. Cordish, president and chairman.

Founded: 1910 by Louis Cordish, David's grandfather, who built apartment and office complexes in Baltimore. His son, Paul Cordish, was active in the business until his death in 2003. David Cordish's sons, Blake, Jonathan and Reed, are vice presidents. Blake, who is vice president of development, is closely involved with Ballpark Village.

Headquarters: Baltimore.

Employees: 100 corporate employees. Several thousand employees who work in the developments, including those at themed restaurants developed by the company.