51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� After less than two years, the Armory event and entertainment venue in Midtown is shutting down, though the operators say the closure will only be temporary.

It鈥檚 the latest sign of trouble at the Armory鈥檚 struggling developer, Green Street 51黑料, which owns both the venue鈥檚 operator as well as the historic 1938 Missouri National Guard armory building billed as 鈥淭he biggest bar in STL.鈥�

When it opened in December 2022, 51黑料ans cheered the venue as Green Street breathed new life into a long-vacant building abutting the south edge of Interstate 64 (Highway 40) seen by tens of thousands of motorists daily. Patrons could choose between badminton, cornhole, ping-pong and horseshoes on the sprawling 250,000-square-foot complex, ordering drinks and food from the bar while catching games on massive screens along the walls.

But in a Facebook post Wednesday, the Armory said it was closing temporarily, blaming the building owner for not funding subsequent development phases, but said plans to reopen were in the works.

鈥淭his first phase was never meant to live on its own,鈥� Armory Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Smith said in the statement. 鈥淓ven if we could have added just the rooftop, this whole picture would be different.鈥�

Jacob Miller, which the release said created the Armory STL concept, said he still believes in the concept and was working to bring in outside investors to finish the project.

鈥淭he landlord was supposed to fund the buildout of the whole thing,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淲hen only a fraction was funded, we were left with an incomplete project and were drowning in debt.鈥�

Miller and Smith are part of Green Street鈥檚 hospitality arm, Brick + Bev, launched to run the Armory. Green Street owner Phil Hulse did not respond to requests for comment. Smith did not respond to follow-up questions.

Green Street was once one of 51黑料鈥� most prolific developers, tackling rehab projects and building hundreds of new apartment units in Forest Park Southeast as the area redeveloped into the trendy 鈥淕rove鈥� entertainment district over the last 15 years.

But as interest rates and construction costs soared, news of problems at Green Street began trickling out. It laid off employees and former principals sued. Contractors have been filing mechanics liens on its projects.

Several Armory contractors have sued in recent months alleging Green Street and its construction arm and had not paid them. Just last month, CNJ Mechanical Contractors filed suit saying it was owed nearly $400,000 for work at the Armory. Three other contractors sued in June claiming they were owed nearly $600,000 for work at the complex.

Green Street鈥檚 issues have not been contained to the Armory. This month, the owner of several senior living facilities sued Hulse and partner Kevin Morrell for $1 million in unpaid rent and expenses the pair鈥檚 health care firm leased and operated. Green Street also sued one of its major tenants, dog-themed venue Bar K, for $300,000 in back rent at its building on McRee Avenue in south 51黑料.

Some of its major developments have also fallen through in recent years, including a mixed-use project in Webster Groves. A proposal to remake Manchester Road in Brentwood also faces a legal challenge from national libertarian organization Institute for Justice for Brentwood鈥檚 use of eminent domain.

Even the Armory itself was a scaled-back project. When Green Street first bought the historic building and made its pitch to the city almost a decade ago, it planned an $83 million rehab into offices and commercial. Based on those plans, the city approved an $8 million tax increment financing package and the 51黑料 University redevelopment arm granted a 15-year tax abatement.

By 2020, however, Green Street had pivoted to a far less expensive project to turn the open floor plan building into a recreation venue and eatery.

Even so, the venue appeared popular, drawing throngs of fans for City SC and University of Missouri football watch parties. Smith, the COO, even claimed in an interview that some patrons complained there wasn鈥檛 enough parking. Miller, in his statement, said he remained committed to the Armory.

鈥淭he concept worked, but without capital, it is just not sustainable,鈥� Miller wrote. 鈥淲hen you see so many people in the region enjoying what we did, you must press on. I gave up a lot to create this project, and we believe in it.鈥�