First Alert Forward: Ballpark Village businesses look beyond Cardinals crowds to sustain downtown St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Businesses in Ballpark Village have worked to attract more people year-round, whether the Cardinals are playing or not.

Even late-season Cardinals crowds have filled restaurants around Ballpark Village, including its newest, The Clydesdale.

“We wanted to have something that was on top of being able to eat at a ballgame,” said Kevin Nashan, the owner of restaurant.

Nashan opened the restaurant earlier this fall with an upscale menu and elevated dining experience.

“You can have a special occasion, business lunch or dinner. But you can also go to the game and bring your kids, we have a great kids menu,” Nashan said.

Nashan and chef Matthew Duffin said they see the restaurant as more than a pregame pub.

“Ballpark Village is kind of its own space with its own attraction,” Duffin said.

They said the restaurant is also meant to appeal to more than fans and tourists who spend limited time downtown.

“We also bring something to the locals. We’ve established a relationship with the locals at One Cardinal Way. They fill up the bars every day and they like what we’re doing here,” Duffin said.

Sales rise despite lower attendance

Tom Schmidt owns Salt and Smoke next door. He said an emphasis on events, along with a variety of bars and restaurants, has helped create a more consistent atmosphere in the area.

“By adding more restaurants and attractions, it’s busier year-round,” Schmidt said.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue’s tax collection data, sales at Ballpark Village increased by nearly 30% from 2024 to 2025, despite lower Cardinals attendance.

“It’s not just Cardinals games. There’s something all the time and we see that,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said he believes that pattern can extend to the rest of downtown.

“The more activity and excitement that can be provided down here makes St. Louis more excited to be down here and live down here. There’s a lot of convention and tourism traffic here that allow us to show the best of St. Louis with all of us being down here,” Schmidt said.

The business owners said more options in more places is a good thing.

“It’s going to bring more customers down and it keeps you from being complacent and we all work together,” Nashan said.

“I think people are looking for something they can’t get in every city in America. People are like, ‘I’m in St. Louis I want barbecue’ and that’s something they just can’t get anywhere when they’re traveling,” Schmidt said.

New $670 million development planned nearby

Cordish, the developer behind Ballpark Village, is planning another project nearby at the current site of the Millennium Hotel, which is being demolished to clear the way for a $670 million mixed-use development. The project will add residential, office and commercial space.

“The next few years are going to be incredible for this area,” Schmidt said.

For Cordish, the project builds on the environment Ballpark Village has created. It also adds infrastructure connecting the Arch grounds to the stadium.

“I think we see ourselves as an anchor for downtown St. Louis,” said Lindsay Wentzel, general manager of Ballpark Village.

Wentzel said Ballpark Village has continued to look for ways to keep that momentum year-round.

“I think customers are looking for an experience. They want that energy and excitement, the new restaurant that opens, the new foods. My hope is always that they’ll always take a photo and post it or go home and say St. Louis is great,” Wentzel said.

Downtown corridor faces challenges with blight and perceptions about safety

Improving other downtown blocks, especially the corridor between the convention center and the stadium, is also part of the plan. A newly improved pedestrian corridor has already been completed, but the city is still working against a perception problem when it comes to safety and blight.

Asked about nearby vacant buildings, including the Railway Exchange Building, and what needs to happen to continue bringing people downtown, Wentzel responded:

“I think a lot of it is on the business owners down here. We’re nothing if downtown isn’t thriving. It’s a matter of everyone moving forward. We see things downtown on the news. I hope people will give downtown another chance and come down here and see that it is safe not just for visitors but for locals,” Wentzel said.

“I think for our size, St. Louis has the best restaurant scene in America,” Schmidt said.

Business owners said moving forward means building beyond the ballpark crowd to show the best of what the city can offer.

“St. Louis needs a lot, especially downtown. Ballpark Village was the big step for that. The MLS is another notch. Our city besides food has so much to offer,” Nashan said.