Inside the $100M expansion project at Powell Hall

Kalista Mitrisin
·2 min read

ST. LOUIS – For the last 13 months, the sounds of construction have been resonating through Powell Hall in the Grand Center Arts District. Renovations at the historic concert venue continue apace, with the goal of reopening in September 2025, ahead of the building’s 100th birthday.

“We’re answering the 22nd century and really offering St. Louis the opportunity to be seen as a cultural mecca in the country,” Marie-Hélène Bernard, president and CEO of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, said. “The (symphony) has a great musical reputation but also the building is considered one of the finest concert halls in the country.”

Dreams of improving the building were first fomented nearly eight years ago. A year into construction, you can see the changes to the long-standing landmark.

The building opened on Nov. 25, 1925, as the St. Louis Theater. The building was sold in 1966 and closed for two years for renovations as the building was converted into Powell Hall.

“It was time for a little bit of a facelift,” Eric Dundon, the symphony’s public relations director, said.

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The existing building will expand by 65,000 square feet, with a learning center, a three-story lobby, green spaces, and even a backstage wing.

“It’s a space that’s gonna have new dressing rooms, new musician lounges, (and) a music library that will house our selection of sheet music,” Dundon said.

Bernard said this architectural gem, which appears on the National Register of Historic Places, generates around $100 million a year.

“What people love about Powell Hall is going to stay the same,” Dundon said. “When you walk in here, we hope to still feel that same sense of place and history.”

The shimmering chandeliers, cream-colored walls, and stately stairs covered in red carpeting will all remain inside the original structure.

“I think this project really activates a very important part of our Midtown, connecting not only from Arch to (Forest Park), but also north to south,” Bernard said. We’re really being an anchor in the community, really generating substantial economic activity.”

Improving accessibility and amenities, Bernard and her crew are excited to bring its culture back into the community.

“We’re very excited for the City of St. Louis,” she said. “We’re believers in St. Louis.”

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