ST. LOUIS — Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing this week is just the latest hurdle for developer Steve Smith in his effort to turn an old Midtown factory eyesore into a St. Louis destination.
The trendy Austin, Texas-based theater chain is slated to be one of the lead tenants in City Foundry, the former Federal Mogul industrial site along Highway 40 (Interstate 64) that Smith has spent five years working to redevelop into a food hall, offices and shops.
COVID-19 delayed by a year the opening of the long-anticipated $300 million redevelopment, a key puzzle piece in the build-out of the region’s Central Corridor, from downtown to Clayton. But Foundry’s planned mix of food stalls and entertainment options, ambitious even before COVID, were exactly the type of businesses most disrupted by the pandemic.
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Smith, however, remains optimistic. Alamo has been in regular contact with the City Foundry development team over the last couple of months, Smith said, and they were “upfront†that there was a chance the theater chain could reorganize in bankruptcy court.
Smith, the CEO of architecture and construction firm Lawrence Group, which recently launched , said Alamo and the development team have developed a “post-COVID plan†for Alamo to open a location in City Foundry. He had already started building the space for the theater, though work was paused while the developer and theater chain waited for more certainty amid the spike in the fall.
Smith said City Foundry is now slated to open to the public sometime in the middle of the year.
While the world waits for vaccines to knock back the virus enough to relax health orders, City Foundry has held outdoor shopping markets and recently announced a concert series.
But when it opens, the heart of City Foundry will remain the food hall, Smith said, where a collection of St. Louis-area chefs and restaurants can test concepts and showcase area favorites.
And though it was among the hardest-hit sectors of the economy, Smith said entertainment and restaurant concepts looking for a presence in St. Louis have begun calling again, inquiring about space.
Something like normal, he hopes, may be close.
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Anthony Thomas, left, from Berkley has his drink handed to him by Chris There, the founder of Kaleidoscope Coffee, as Thomas waits line for food during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Winston the dog looks out his window as his owners Megan Arney, right, and her husband Landon Arney, not pictured, wait in a line of cars that stretched out on to Manchester Avenue during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Chris There, the founder of Kaleidoscope Coffee, brings a freshly poured drink to customers waiting in line for food during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

A breakfast sandwich is prepared for a customer during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Emily Johnson with The Little Bit Foundation bring food to customer's cars during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

A line of cars that stretches out on to Manchester Avenue wait for their food from the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Dalton Capps with Kaleidoscope Coffee brings a freshly poured drink to customers waiting in line for food during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Rachael Soete holds a sign reminding people waiting in line for food where they can make their donation during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Fresh breakfast sandwiches are prepared for customers during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

A dog takes in the scene as cars wait in line for food at the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Winston the dog looks out his window as his owners Megan Arney, right, and her husband Landon Arney, not pictured, wait in a line of cars that stretched out on to Manchester Avenue during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL

Coffee from Kaleidoscope Coffee is poured for a drive through customer during the Restaurant Rally at City Foundry STL in St. Louis on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com