10 Dec Armory District revived with Rec Hall
Building upon its success as a “pop-up” in The Grove, Rec Hall(formerly known as RECESS), in partnership with Green Street St. Louis (“Green Street”), becomes the lead tenant in the historic Armory building with a Summer 2021 opening.
Rec Hall, a St. Louis Entertainment Venue, opened their first 50,000 square foot facility in a Green Street owned warehouse building located in The Grove in November 2019. The venue quickly became one of the most talked about recreation venues in the city and created a space for visitors to play corn-hole, bocce ball, ping pong, retro video games, giant jenga, and many more. With an average bill of only $21, Rec Hall became an affordable and attractive entertainment option to people of all ages, races, sexes, and income classes.
"Green Street is honored to be a part of Rec Hall’s success,” said Phil Hulse, Green Street Founder, and CEO. “The creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of their team and business model resonates with our mission to ‘Make More Possible’."
With just under 10,000 visitors per month shortly after opening and rapidly gaining a fan base ever since, Rec Hall quickly outgrew their limited space and looked to expand their footprint. The Armory building became an opportunity for Rec Hall to provide an initial 80,000 sq. ft. of space for increased visitors and expanded services.
"The visual aesthetics and history of the Armory, its central location near St. Louis University and the new City Foundry Development, along with the size and variety of activities provided, Rec Hall believes this venue will become a central gathering point for a wide demographic of people." said Luke Wade of Rec Hall.
Rec Hall @ the Armory will feature expanded tail-gate/backyard type offerings listed to the left. Also included are a full bar, stage, multiple private event spaces, and a full kitchen. Eventually, the partnership intends to rehabilitate the entire building, expanding from 80,000 to 250,000 sq ft. The additional space will bring more games, a 25,000+ sq ft rooftop bar, the tennis hall of fame, and enough space in the basement to host seasonal “pop-up” events.
Operating 7 days a week with a wide variety of activities (music, games, food, & drinks), the goal is to attract people from all demographics. The Friday/Saturday crowds generate 80% of the overall revenue in the initial location. In the new venue, Rec Hall plans to diversify and attract additional people with leagues/tournaments in soccer, pickleball, darts, ping pong, and more. Building on what one of the operating partners has done in Kansas City, the goal is to attract more people during the week by making this location a social, entertainment, and community gathering spot for all people 18+. Additionally, this venue will have 3 private event spaces to host personal or corporate parties.
By hiring local staff, partnering with charities for fundraising events, and collaborating with local sports teams, Rec Hall plans to be a hub of community engagement. A partnership with the National Guard recruitment centers and senior living communities would also further attract business.
“We are thrilled to honor the Armory’s past as an entertainment venue with the addition of Rec Hall,” said Kevin Morrell, Principal at Green Street St. Louis. “We’ve enjoyed working HDA, our new architecture partners on designing and laying out the space to create something unlike anything else in our region. The Green Street Construction is already at working setting the stage for us all to enjoy this coming summer”.
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