Armory STL closes due to financial difficulties – MEET (Conference |

The future of STL, the Armory, an entertainment venue in downtown St. Louis, is uncertain. On Wednesday, Armory STL announced it was closing “temporarily” due to financial difficulties. The announcement was made via a press release shared on the venue’s Facebook page, but did not specify when the venue would reopen. The closing marks another setback for Armory developer Green Street St. Louis, which has faced mounting financial and legal problems of late.

St. Louis, home to the historic 1938 Missouri National Guard Armory Building on Green Street, launched the Armory STL in December 2022. The armory ended up being a scaled-down project compared to the original vision. Green Street initially proposed an $83 million restoration to convert the building into office and commercial space, resulting in an $8 million tax increment financing package and 15 years of tax abatements. However, by 2020, Green Street had different plans to turn the building into an entertainment venue.

Billed as “STL’s largest bar,” the 250,000-square-foot venue quickly became a hotspot for party games, live events, and community gatherings. However, financial challenges have hampered the completion of the second phase of the complex, which is intended to include additional entertainment space and a rooftop beer garden.

“The first phase we opened was not intended to be a stand-alone operation,” said Jimmy Smith, chief operating officer of Armory STL. “Even if we could just add a roof, the whole picture would be different.”

Jacob Miller, co-founder of STL Concepts at the Armory, said a lack of funds from the building owners was the main reason for the temporary closure. “It’s simple. The landlord is supposed to fund the entire building. When only a small portion of the funding comes in, we have an incomplete project and are left with a lot of debt. We’re working hard to restructure the whole thing.”

Although the Armory STL has closed, Miller and Smith have expressed their commitment to reopening the venue and are actively seeking outside investors to complete the project. “Right now, we’re trying to bring in some outside capital and realize the original vision. The concept works, but without capital, it’s not sustainable,” Miller said. “When you see so many people in the area enjoying what we do, you have to keep working hard. I gave up a lot to create this program, and we believe in it.”

Whether ArmorySTL will return as a popular community venue remains uncertain, but for now its doors have closed, leaving a glaring void in St. Louis’ vibrant entertainment scene.

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