Courtesy of The Staenberg Group
Yet another example of the “stuff economy” giving way to the “experience economy”: In 2018, The Staenberg Group announced that it had taken over operations of the Taubman Prestige Outlets in Chesterfield and would be redeveloping the mall into an entertainment destination called The District. Now one of The District’s anchors, a 52,000-square-foot, 3,000-capacity music venue called The Factory, is set to open early this year.
Those involved in the project, Michael Staenberg, founder of TSG, and Brian Carp, The Factory’s chief operating officer, care about the music scene in St. Louis. The want to elevate the region and give bands another opportunity to play here. And if personnel is any indication, the lineup will be fire. That’s because The Factory’s exclusive talent booker is the music man of St. Louis: Steve Schankman, founder of Contemporary Productions. Schankman built Riverport Amphitheater and booked U2 for their first St. Louis gig, at Washington University’s Graham Chapel, in 1981—for $750. He’ll be working with Dan Merker, Contemporary’s booking agent.
But opening a new concert venue in the midst of a pandemic? After a year when most of our musical experiences have consisted of logging on to Zoom to watch masked musicians perform live or catching a socially-distanced outdoor concert, there might not be a better time.
“The industry has really changed from being a live music experience to it being an entertainment experience,” Carp says. That’s why, in addition to the music venue’s unobstructed sightlines and such amenities as more green rooms for the performers, The District will be key to its success: A concertgoer might start the evening at one of the yet-to-be-named restaurants before taking in a show.
Whom will Schankman and company book for the first show? No word yet, but Carp says the bill will run the gamut from rock to country, pop to hip-hop. “There really isn’t anything that we’re not going to do,” he says. “We want to make sure that when people are looking at upcoming shows that everyone feels like this has been built for them. We want to make sure that we’re serving the entire community.”
Play On
The rundown on The District’s three (announced at press time) attractions
The Factory
A feasibility study for The Factory revealed that people will drive up to 50 miles for live music in St. Louis—it’s really about the band. But the opportunities for performers to play an audience of more than 2,000 were limited, especially out west. The same goes for the chance to play both to a general admission floor and a seated balcony, which this venture will feature. The District will also put on comedy and kids’ shows. For the adults, the venue will offer free parking and seven bars. Hallelujah: We need ’em.
Main Event
The real family-friendly entertainment option is the 50,000-square-foot Main Event, featuring such activities as bowling, laser tag, and arcade games.
Topgolf
Have you ever driven past the Topgolf in Chesterfield and not seen the parking lot packed? Turns out it’s one of the top five Topgolfs in the country. Who knew? The popularity of the sports entertainment venue that uses microchipped golf balls to track players’ scores was one clue that The Factory could do well in Chesterfield. “The west-of-270 mindset, the west-of-170 mindset, however you want to frame that, has really kind of broken down over the years,” Carp says. “A lot of the population is willing to travel a little bit farther than maybe they have in the past.”
