Steve and Will Smith, Photo by Joe Martinez
FATHER + SON SEE EYE-TO-EYE By Craig Kaminer
St. Louis is certainly known for its family businesses, but few ever make it to the third or fourth generation -- often because of their success. The next generation often have the financial freedom and intellectual curiosity to start something new and leave the family business to professional management, repair the world with a nonprofit, or do nothing. What makes this father and son story so interesting is that without the pandemic, the Smith story may have ended this way too. Instead Steve Smith (64) and his son Will Smith (28) have started a new business together built on the Smiths’ multi-generation entrepreneurial spirit in architecture, construction, contracting, and real estate. Steve’s success as an architect and principal of Lawrence Group, with dozens of successful real estate ventures and a passion for St. Louis, could have been the end of the line. But as luck would have it, the timing is perfect for Will to place St. Louis at the top of his list of places he wants to help grow. And together, Steve and Will are betting that others feel the same. Steve has always been ahead of his time. He grew his firm, Lawrence Group, downtown while others were heading west. He invested time and money in historic rehab when it was fashionable to do so and while it wasn’t. He embraced contemporary design long before the city caught up with him. He has contributed to the revitalization of Downtown, Midtown, and Grand Center, with impressive redevelopments including Park Pacific, Grand Center 70 slmag.net
Arts Academy, The Sun Theater, The Angad Art Hotel, Hotel Ignacio, The Moto Museum, and dozens of projects in between. He seems like a visionary now as billions of dollars are pouring into Downtown, Downtown West, North City, Cortex, and Loop East. He has been doing it longer than most -- during the boom and the bust -- and as a result of a behind-the-scenes tour of City Foundry, his most creative work is yet to come. Will, who graduated from John Burroughs School in 2011, complements his dad’s architecture background with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Wharton. His original plan was to do great things in New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia. Steve remarked proudly, “I have a capable son, but having him join the firm was never part of my plan.” According to Will, “I always thought there may be a role (someday), but there was a lot about St. Louis that didn’t excite me. I always heard St. Louis is great for families, but I don’t have one. Ironically, beginning in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, I spent more time here and learned so much more about St. Louis. There is a lot of great stuff happening here with lots of potential. And I realized I could work with my dad, grow what he has already built, help lead in a new direction, and join at a level I couldn’t somewhere else.”
