A year after sharing plans to stabilize four buildings with deep significance to local Black history, St. Louis’ Land Reutilization Authority has determined one cannot be saved: Club Imperial in Walnut Park West.
The venue, which helped launch Ike and Tina Turner to stardom and helped integrate St. Louis’ music scene, is too far in disrepair, says Shelton Anderson, who directs the Land Reutilization Authority and is a vice president of real estate for the St. Louis Development Corporation.
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“Due to the size, the age of the building, the existing conditions of the roof structure, and the other structural elements itself, it would take a significant amount of funding that the city unfortunately does not have to move forward with stabilization,” he says.
SLDC and LRA initially sought to hire contractors to stabilize the building, but multiple engineering reports revealed lofty costs for that work—as much as $18 million, and that didn’t even account for restoration costs.
“We know that demolition is not something that a lot of people may want or believe is the most feasible,” Shelton says. “We are looking at the reality of what has been brought forth in the engineering reports and assessments that tells us that this is the most feasible [and] safest approach, considering the current conditions of the building.”
He notes that the other three buildings LRA had previously identified for stabilization work—the Wellston Loop Pavilion, Chuck Berry’s Former Home and the Sara-Lou Cafe—are all at various points of being stabilized.
Go Deeper: The city isn’t looking to simply knock down the former Club Imperial, but instead intends to take apart the existing building with care, Shelton says.
“First will be deconstruction, that is essentially identifying any historic relics or portions of the building that can potentially be salvaged,” he says. “After that process, it will then be the demolition of the remaining structure, so that it’s done in a safe and environmentally conscious way.”
Shelton says elements such as the building’s facade, soffits, and medallions could be saved and incorporated into the construction of a new site or a historical marker.
“The ultimate goal is getting these properties back into productive use and getting them back on the tax roll,” he says. “We look forward to working with the neighborhood and working with the city’s planning office, in taking the plans that the neighborhood has now developed and are being finalized very soon, in shaping that into a redevelopment plan that we can act on.”
What’s Next: Before Wednesday’s meeting of the LRA Board will be presented with a proposal to seek bids to deconstruct and demolish the property. If approved, the LRA anticipates work to take apart the building will start in the spring.
