UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) - Washington University’s $80 million project to develop apartments and stores in the Delmar Loop area of University City and St. Louis is about to start.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that demolition of two small buildings begins Monday. The project aims to add as many as 600 university students as Loop residents as well as increase retail space on Delmar Boulevard.

It will include three apartment buildings and two buildings of stores and apartments. Construction of a five-story building that is part of the project starts in April after the two existing 1920s apartment buildings are taken down.

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