Is Pitcher's still in existence? Somewhere (I think P-D) it said there was a new place called Catcher's inside. I drove past yesterday and saw the patio open at Walnut and Broadway but could not figure out what it was.
- 10K
I was wondering that myself. It looks like there is some sort of bar outside where Pitcher's was, but I'm not sure what it's called.
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By the way, the re-installed bus shelter at the southwest corner of Broadway and Market is no longer a bus stop. Evidently, the new curbing isn't long enough to safely allow a bus to stop without blocking either Market or the entrance to the new hotel drop-off. And since Metro outsourced their shelters to Wall, a company that cares more about advertising income than whether are not these shelters turned billboards are even bus stops, people wait on this new corner, wondering why buses aren't stopping to pick them up. Great public perception sustained by Metro!
I was told by the hotel that Pitcher's was a name associated or owned by Marriott. The bar will remain but has a new name.
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I have a copy of the «Pictures» section of the Post-Dispatch from Sunday, November 7, 1965. It has an article about the Spanish Pavilion. I would upload pictures if I could, but I cannot. I can retype the main text portion, though.
{
The Spanish Pavilion
'Jewel' of the New York World's Fair Coveted by Mayor Cervantes
By CLARENCE E. OLSON of the PICTURES Staff
After the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, the city retained one spendid building—the Spanish Pavilion, called the "jewel" of the New York World's Fair. The Spanish government is anxious to dispose of the structure—and will give it away—because the site must be cleared by January 17. Unless the pavilion can be moved by that time, it will be demolished and lost forever.
The major problem facing St. Louis officials and potential financial backers is that this deadline does not leave time for a thorough study to determine whether acquisition of the pavilion is economically and esthetically sound. The first consideration has been the raising of the $800,000 needed to dismantle and move the large building almost 1000 miles. It is estimated that an additional $1,900,000 will be needed to rebuild the pavilion, plus some $800,000 for a site in downtown St. Louis. A $500,000 contingency fund brings the total estimated cost to $4,000,000. The pavilion, with its 120,000 feet of floor space, would be used as a cultural center or civic center. It contains a 780-seat theater, several gallery areas for art displays, three restaurants, an inner court and other facilities. The dramatic flourishes of its interior architecture made it one of the most attractive features of the recently closed fair.
Several sites have been proposed for the building, all of them near the downtown stadium now under construction. Mayor Cervantes has estimated that the pavilion could produce $1,000,000 in annual income from admission fees, profits from restaurant and theater concessions and charges to exhibitors. Plans call for private financing with the city retaining some form of control over the project.
}
The author seems to have been unable to place the «æ» character for the spelling of «æsthetics». He also seems to have been unable to see the obvious folly of the mayor's income estimate for the pavilion. I can also include copies of the photograph captions.
{
Photos by PAUL BERG of the PICTURES Staff
The Spanish Pavilion has an unrevealing exterior of vertical lines that would blend architecturally with other structures now planned in the stadium area of downtown St. Louis. The entrance (below corner) is guarded by a sliding wrought-iron gate 27 feet long and five feet high designed by Spanish sculptor Amadeo Gabino.
In a display area on the second floor, massive columns are suspended from the ceiling. Some 350,000 blocks of walnut wood were used to form the Moorish ceilings in the building. Rust-red Spanish tiles were used for the floors. Javier Carvajal, professor of art at Madrid's Escuela Tenica de Arquitectura, was chiefly responsible for the pavilion's design.
In a hall that housed Catholic religious art, a astained glass wall designed by Manuel Molezun creates patterns of light. Other Spanish artists produced paint, ceramic and collage murals as well as other built-in artwork for the pavilion.
A large courtyard in the Spanish tradition is at the center of the 320-by-220-foot building, producing a hidden garden spot that may be viewed from many angles by diners, theater-goers and other visitors in the building.
}
One ought to note that, although most of the upper concrete band of the pavilion remains, it seems that most of the remainder of the pavilion is not in place. One also ought to note that this pavilion that the mayor attempted to bring as a community project has become property of a private entity for a solely profiting application. As I look at the pictures, I note that having the pavilion as a public building could have been very good for the city, providing a non-commerciàl break from Ballpark Land and a shady, sheltered break from the sunny, windswept Gateway Mall. Unfortunately, a city rarely has money for such a project and must enlist the help of people who have money and want more.[/img]
{
The Spanish Pavilion
'Jewel' of the New York World's Fair Coveted by Mayor Cervantes
By CLARENCE E. OLSON of the PICTURES Staff
After the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, the city retained one spendid building—the Spanish Pavilion, called the "jewel" of the New York World's Fair. The Spanish government is anxious to dispose of the structure—and will give it away—because the site must be cleared by January 17. Unless the pavilion can be moved by that time, it will be demolished and lost forever.
The major problem facing St. Louis officials and potential financial backers is that this deadline does not leave time for a thorough study to determine whether acquisition of the pavilion is economically and esthetically sound. The first consideration has been the raising of the $800,000 needed to dismantle and move the large building almost 1000 miles. It is estimated that an additional $1,900,000 will be needed to rebuild the pavilion, plus some $800,000 for a site in downtown St. Louis. A $500,000 contingency fund brings the total estimated cost to $4,000,000. The pavilion, with its 120,000 feet of floor space, would be used as a cultural center or civic center. It contains a 780-seat theater, several gallery areas for art displays, three restaurants, an inner court and other facilities. The dramatic flourishes of its interior architecture made it one of the most attractive features of the recently closed fair.
Several sites have been proposed for the building, all of them near the downtown stadium now under construction. Mayor Cervantes has estimated that the pavilion could produce $1,000,000 in annual income from admission fees, profits from restaurant and theater concessions and charges to exhibitors. Plans call for private financing with the city retaining some form of control over the project.
}
The author seems to have been unable to place the «æ» character for the spelling of «æsthetics». He also seems to have been unable to see the obvious folly of the mayor's income estimate for the pavilion. I can also include copies of the photograph captions.
{
Photos by PAUL BERG of the PICTURES Staff
The Spanish Pavilion has an unrevealing exterior of vertical lines that would blend architecturally with other structures now planned in the stadium area of downtown St. Louis. The entrance (below corner) is guarded by a sliding wrought-iron gate 27 feet long and five feet high designed by Spanish sculptor Amadeo Gabino.
In a display area on the second floor, massive columns are suspended from the ceiling. Some 350,000 blocks of walnut wood were used to form the Moorish ceilings in the building. Rust-red Spanish tiles were used for the floors. Javier Carvajal, professor of art at Madrid's Escuela Tenica de Arquitectura, was chiefly responsible for the pavilion's design.
In a hall that housed Catholic religious art, a astained glass wall designed by Manuel Molezun creates patterns of light. Other Spanish artists produced paint, ceramic and collage murals as well as other built-in artwork for the pavilion.
A large courtyard in the Spanish tradition is at the center of the 320-by-220-foot building, producing a hidden garden spot that may be viewed from many angles by diners, theater-goers and other visitors in the building.
}
One ought to note that, although most of the upper concrete band of the pavilion remains, it seems that most of the remainder of the pavilion is not in place. One also ought to note that this pavilion that the mayor attempted to bring as a community project has become property of a private entity for a solely profiting application. As I look at the pictures, I note that having the pavilion as a public building could have been very good for the city, providing a non-commerciàl break from Ballpark Land and a shady, sheltered break from the sunny, windswept Gateway Mall. Unfortunately, a city rarely has money for such a project and must enlist the help of people who have money and want more.[/img]
Any update on the name of the bar at Walnut and Broadway? Does the pation remain open pre/post game?
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I don't know the downtown street grid here as well as most on here so we could be talking about different things. That said, went to the game last night and a patio restaurant at the Hilton, I think it was on Broadway, positive it was on the east side of the hotel, anyway the patio was open both before and after the game! It had a sign that said your pre/post game party headquarters or something like that. Walked by it about 5 min late and the tables were maybe a 3rd full. Didn't get to see it after 
. Granted it was against the Reds but the stadium garages to the east didn't seem to start hemorraghing(sp?) in the 8th inning as usual.
. Granted it was against the Reds but the stadium garages to the east didn't seem to start hemorraghing(sp?) in the 8th inning as usual.- 2,005
Blzhrpmd2 wrote:Any update on the name of the bar at Walnut and Broadway? Does the pation remain open pre/post game?
It's called the Sports Grille and Bar at Market.
edit: That's the name of the bar on the inside, don't know what they call the patio.
The Former Pitchers Bar on Broadway and Market has been torn down. There is a rendering of a two story all glass ballroom/conference facility at that corner now. It looks pretty nice though. I think it'll be done early next year.
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brickandmortar wrote:The Former Pitchers Bar on Broadway and Market has been torn down. There is a rendering of a two story all glass ballroom/conference facility at that corner now. It looks pretty nice though. I think it'll be done early next year.
Isn't this the same hotel that was rumored to get a Shula's (among other rumored choices)? If so, I wonder if that will be part of this addition?
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brickandmortar wrote:The Former Pitchers Bar on Broadway and Market has been torn down. There is a rendering of a two story all glass ballroom/conference facility at that corner now. It looks pretty nice though. I think it'll be done early next year.
I noticed that - the rendering looks really good.
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Pitchers always seemed so downtown circa 1982.
I wouldn't have been surprised to walk in there and see the Donnybrook panel filming an episode
I wouldn't have been surprised to walk in there and see the Donnybrook panel filming an episode
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I got this off a flyer in the hotel today. For those who aren't familiar with the hotel, the addition is the two story building on the corner.
brickandmortar wrote:I got this off a flyer in the hotel today. For those who aren't familiar with the hotel, the addition is the two story building on the corner.
At some of the bridal/wedding fairs I got dragged to, the reps from the Hilton were there pimping the new ballroom in this addition.
The drawings looked nice but we didn't want to book a room site-unseen. Plus I was worried about conflicts if a Cardinal game was going on.
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So is this corner addition at Broadway and Market now the plan in lieu of past plans for an addition connecting the former Mark Twain bank at 7th and Market with expanded space above Mike Shannon's, or in addition to such plans?
COVER STORY: HILTON ST. LOUIS AT THE BALLPARK
by Michael Humphrey
Missouri Meeting and Events Magazine
Fall 2007
![]()
[snipped]
And dynasties are built one piece at a time – so get ready for the new “ace” of the Hilton at the Ballpark team, a brand new conference center and ballroom.
Heart of downtown On the corner of Market and Broadway, Eicher looks at the air that will soon be filled with Hilton’s new ballroom and conference center. “This is the heart of the city,” Eicher says. “And you’ve got all of this new meeting space coming right to this corner. It will be a conference center on the first floor and the ballroom on the second floor, all looking out on this street. The views will be spectacular.”
Plans are to have the space ready in April 2008. Ballpark Conference Center will add 4,530 square feet, divisible into three rooms, the largest of which will be 1,840 square feet. The Arch View Ballroom will add 6,327 square feet. Prefunction space will add 1,653 square feet. The addition means that Hilton, with its 675 rooms, is ready to play hardball for meetings in downtown St. Louis. Not that they weren’t already in the mix, with free WiFi in the meeting areas, the largest Starbucks in St. Louis, a world class business center and all in walking distance of America’s Center. But Eicher says the hotel’s goal is to bring in more groups of its own, though not necessarily large groups. “It’s not often that a group comes in and takes over your hotel,” Eicher says. “It’s how you put four or five or six groups simultaneously. So what we’ll be able to do is put a group on one side (of the hotel), put another group on the other side and we have our catering kitchen right between them. We’ll be able to service those groups seamlessly and they’ll never need to see each other.”
LHM is also reclaiming a former restaurant space for more meeting space and a new bar and lounge. A renovated three-service restaurant, near Market Street, will be used to cater many group meals. Add that to the existing 10,920-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and more than a dozen remaining breakout spaces, and Eicher feels Hilton will become far more competitive for groups with its 40,000 total square feet. “The key is the conference center that gives us 4,500 square feet of breakout space that we didn’t have before,” Eicher says. Baseball everywhere And then you have to factor in the aesthetics, says general manager Erich Smith. “We’re a large hotel, but have a very small hotel feel,” Smith says. “With the conference center, we want to specialize in the small corporate meeting market and to be able to segregate that group from the big meeting that might be going on upstairs. And then you talk about the space up top, it’s going to visually be the premier space in the city.”
Those spaces will face the Arch, one important element of St. Louis’ glorious past preserved in one of America’s most iconic images. On the other side is another of America’s icons – baseball. And the Hilton has capitalized on that in every way.
**Read a lot more**
by Michael Humphrey
Missouri Meeting and Events Magazine
Fall 2007
[snipped]
And dynasties are built one piece at a time – so get ready for the new “ace” of the Hilton at the Ballpark team, a brand new conference center and ballroom.
Heart of downtown On the corner of Market and Broadway, Eicher looks at the air that will soon be filled with Hilton’s new ballroom and conference center. “This is the heart of the city,” Eicher says. “And you’ve got all of this new meeting space coming right to this corner. It will be a conference center on the first floor and the ballroom on the second floor, all looking out on this street. The views will be spectacular.”
Plans are to have the space ready in April 2008. Ballpark Conference Center will add 4,530 square feet, divisible into three rooms, the largest of which will be 1,840 square feet. The Arch View Ballroom will add 6,327 square feet. Prefunction space will add 1,653 square feet. The addition means that Hilton, with its 675 rooms, is ready to play hardball for meetings in downtown St. Louis. Not that they weren’t already in the mix, with free WiFi in the meeting areas, the largest Starbucks in St. Louis, a world class business center and all in walking distance of America’s Center. But Eicher says the hotel’s goal is to bring in more groups of its own, though not necessarily large groups. “It’s not often that a group comes in and takes over your hotel,” Eicher says. “It’s how you put four or five or six groups simultaneously. So what we’ll be able to do is put a group on one side (of the hotel), put another group on the other side and we have our catering kitchen right between them. We’ll be able to service those groups seamlessly and they’ll never need to see each other.”
LHM is also reclaiming a former restaurant space for more meeting space and a new bar and lounge. A renovated three-service restaurant, near Market Street, will be used to cater many group meals. Add that to the existing 10,920-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and more than a dozen remaining breakout spaces, and Eicher feels Hilton will become far more competitive for groups with its 40,000 total square feet. “The key is the conference center that gives us 4,500 square feet of breakout space that we didn’t have before,” Eicher says. Baseball everywhere And then you have to factor in the aesthetics, says general manager Erich Smith. “We’re a large hotel, but have a very small hotel feel,” Smith says. “With the conference center, we want to specialize in the small corporate meeting market and to be able to segregate that group from the big meeting that might be going on upstairs. And then you talk about the space up top, it’s going to visually be the premier space in the city.”
Those spaces will face the Arch, one important element of St. Louis’ glorious past preserved in one of America’s most iconic images. On the other side is another of America’s icons – baseball. And the Hilton has capitalized on that in every way.
**Read a lot more**
- 10K
^
Nice find. And thank you for breaking it up into separate paragraphs.
Nice find. And thank you for breaking it up into separate paragraphs.
^I think this is going to be a great addition to Market St.
I wish the city would remove that silly median in front.
I wish the city would remove that silly median in front.
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southsidepride wrote:Pitchers always seemed so downtown circa 1982.
I wouldn't have been surprised to walk in there and see the Donnybrook panel filming an episode
Forgot to mention when I was there yesterday I noticed the bar has relocated to the area by the restaurant. It's much better lit than Pitchers was since it is located in an open area of the lobby. It has several flatscreens and very comfy looking couchs.
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With this construction, they should take out the former bus shelter on the corner of Broadway. Metro won't use it as a stop because it doesn't have enough curb length to keep stopped buses from blocking Market.
Otherwise, that makes two times that plan reviewers have missed where the shelter was placed, previously with renovations that changed the former Marriott into a Hilton and now this ballroom addition. Of course, if the City can't even line up curb ramps on sidewalks, it's not surprising if any City employee ever thinks about bus stop locations during his or her "review."
Otherwise, that makes two times that plan reviewers have missed where the shelter was placed, previously with renovations that changed the former Marriott into a Hilton and now this ballroom addition. Of course, if the City can't even line up curb ramps on sidewalks, it's not surprising if any City employee ever thinks about bus stop locations during his or her "review."
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Hilton at the Ballpark to Unveil ArchView Ballroom with Macy's "Stars on Broadway" Fashion Show
ST. LOUIS (HOTELS-STL.com), March 2, 2008 - Macy's, Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, and KMOV-TV, will be rolling out the red carpet on Saturday evening, April 5th for the most lustrous fashion happening ever seen in the area.
Macy's "Stars on Broadway," the name of which is emblematic of the renown Macy's red star and the Broadway location of Hilton at the Ballpark, will be an unrivaled showcase of fashion and entertainment - headlined by luminaries from Broadway musicals, top fashion models, and musical groups.
The event will also celebrate the Grand Opening of the magnificent new ArchView Ballroom at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, with its floor to ceiling windows and a stunning view of the St. Louis skyline.
The fashion event will benefit the New Born Intensive Care Unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
MORE
Cool thing for a good cause. Fashion isn't really my thing, but models are usually nice to look at.
St. Louis could use some more fashion shows.
There are some slick folk that know how to dress like Kings, and it would be nice to have some more of them here.
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There are some slick folk that know how to dress like Kings, and it would be nice to have some more of them here.
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This is a great addition to this corner- it looks much better than what was there before IMHO.