Update: The theater was renovated in 2013-2014 into the performing arts space for a nearby charter school.
Grand Center has pretty much renovated the major institutions of the neighborhood, with the exception of the Sun Theater. It sits empty, with two trees and various vegetation sprouting from its roof. Read more about the theater here at Cinema Treasures. I’m not going to try and sort out all the different names this theater has had over the years, but it originally–like most St. Louis institutions–started out catering to the German community in the city.
Luckily the theater is in good shape structurally, and fits in nicely with Grand Center’s current hopes for the neighborhood being an arts and entertainment district. If it were an old apartment building, I would have my worries about its safety. Of course, one could wake up one day and discover it demolished in the name of “progress,” I suppose.
It’s worth checking out; the controversy about the large quantities of bird dropping left on the sidewalk has been ameliorated, so you won’t get your shoes dirty.
What is the latest on this place? Does anyone know whether it could be a possible place for, say, 800-1200 spectators + a flat track roller derby track? Thinking one of the buildings in this area could be a future CITY home for the Arch Rival Roller Girls?
That would actually be a good idea; as far as I know, there is nothing going on with the Sun Theater. I don’t know if it could fit a roller derby track; unfortunately, it most likely could not because I assume the floors are sloped towards the stage.
Do you happen to know who currently owns The Sun Theater? My friend and I were just wondering how much work it would take to update it for concerts and film screenings.
The Sun Theater, if not technically owned by, is controlled by the Grand Center organization. Its current president is Vince Schoemehl, the former mayor of St. Louis in the 1980's. I think it would be really cool if it could be renovated, but as pictures of the inside that a reader of my blog gave me show, it is in bad shape on the interior.
Do you have those pictures posted somewhere?
Adam,A reader of my website sent me some photographs of the interior:http://stlouispatina.com/the-theater-of-mysteries/I don't know how they or where they found them. Hope this helps; as you can see it's in pretty bad shape, but not hopeless inside.
I found some pictures of the Sun Theater's interior on my camera once. I don't know how they got there! Sun Theater.