ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies announced today that they have reached a licensing and sponsorship agreement with Anheuser-Busch to participate in the $100 million first phase of Ballpark Village. The new venue will join Cardinals Nation and the St. Louis Live! Entertainment Plaza as one of the first three anchors of Ballpark Village phase 1, providing the world’s largest brewer the opportunity to showcase its local history as well as the global reach of its brands.
"Our investment in Ballpark Village is the next chapter in a long and storied history between Anheuser-Busch, the Cardinals, and the city of St. Louis," said Luiz Edmond, North American President, Anheuser-Busch InBev. "Not only will Ballpark Village enhance the way St. Louisans enjoy their city, but it will be the first impression many visitors get of downtown. We’re proud to help bring this vision to life."
The venue will include a restaurant that will feature authentic German-inspired cuisine, more than 100 national and international beers on tap and live music on a nightly basis, a lush outdoor beer garden and a stunning rooftop deck with prime views into Busch Stadium.
"We are excited to have Anheuser-Busch join the Cardinals and the Cordish Companies as an anchor partner in the first phase of Ballpark Village," said Bill DeWitt III, President of the Cardinals. "Anheuser-Busch has always been a great partner of the Cardinals and their commitment to this project will strengthen an already-great corporate relationship.
The first phase of Ballpark Village will also be anchored by a first-of-its-kind Cardinals venue to be called "Cardinals Nation," an area totaling more than 30,000 square feet and spanning three levels to include a two-story restaurant, a Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, and a 300-plus seat rooftop deck with spectacular views of the game across Clark Street.
• The Cardinals Nation restaurant will feature a high-energy, memorabilia-infused space designed by the internationally acclaimed Jeffrey Beers International. Featuring three separate patios, two large bars and unparalleled sports viewing with large flat screen TVs and other multimedia features, Cardinals Nation will set a new standard for sports-inspired restaurants. Open year-round, Cardinals Nation will allow fans to stay connected to the team well beyond the regular season.
• Cardinals Nation will also feature the long-awaited new Cardinals Museum, which will showcase one of the largest collections of artifacts in all of Major League Baseball, The Museum will occupying approximately 8,000 square feet within Cardinals Nation.
• In addition to the museum, the Cardinals will debut a first ever Cardinals Hall of Fame, providing a permanent home for the official plaques recognizing the greatest Cardinals in the history of the franchise.
• The Cardinals Nation rooftop seating deck will feature ticketed seats looking into Busch Stadium and will include amenities such as all-inclusive food and beverage, Busch Stadium audio/visual feeds and access to other areas within Ballpark Village.
At the heart of Ballpark Village will be a central gathering place and plaza known as the St. Louis Live! Entertainment Plaza. St. Louis Live! will feature a world class audio-video presentation including a 40-foot diagonal LED screen above a stage, providing St. Louis sports fans with on one of the best sports viewing experiences in the country.
With several Live! locations across the country from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, these Cordish-developed districts host more than 150 events per year on average and attract between 4.5 and 9 million visitors annually to the cities in which they operate.
"Anheuser-Busch and the Cardinals are not only two of the most recognizable brands in the world, they are also both St. Louis institutions," said David S. Cordish, Chairman of the Cordish Companies. "Their involvement makes Ballpark Village one of the most exciting projects in the country, while also ensuring that it is built on a successful foundation that is uniquely St. Louis."
The construction of the approximately $100 million first phase of Ballpark Village is expected to get under way later this year following a public approval process and will include the development of more than 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space on two plus blocks along Clark Street just north of Busch Stadium.
The first phase will also include improvements to the streets, sidewalks, utilities and infrastructure on the entire ten-acre site to support the future phases of the project and will create more than 1,000 construction jobs and more than 500 permanent jobs.
Ballpark Village
The construction of Ballpark Village represents the culmination the Cardinals vision for their investment in downtown St. Louis that began with the opening of the new, privately financed $411 Busch Stadium in 2006. Ballpark Village is an approximately $550 million mixed-use retail, entertainment, office and residential district being developed in partnership by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies. Spanning seven city blocks on the 10-acre site just north of Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village will be the country’s first fully integrated mixed-use development designed to deliver the excitement and energy of the game day experience to a new neighborhood outside the stadium walls.
Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.7 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world’s largest-selling beers. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.
The Cordish Companies
For generations, the Cordish family has grown The Cordish Companies into one of the world’s leading real estate development companies and a diverse group of successful entertainment-operating businesses. Cordish Companies’ entertainment and mixed use projects include the Kansas City Power & Light District, Louisville Fourth Street Live, and The Power Plant & Pier IV in Baltimore.
