ST. LOUIS, Missouri (First Alert 4) – First Alert 4 is investigating what’s next for The Armory after employees claimed they received a message saying the Midtown St. Louis venue was closing.

On Wednesday morning, the mayor’s office told First Alert 4 that it had “received no legally required notice from the owners that would indicate the permanent closure of an employer of this size,” and said that if a permanent closure were to occur, it would explore how to find local job opportunities for laid-off employees.

In a letter posted on The Armory’s Instagram page, it was announced that The Armory STL will be temporarily closed and plans to reopen are in the works.

“The first phase we opened was not intended to be a standalone building. Even if we could have just added the roof, the overall look would have been different. What we had planned up there was incredible,” said Jimmy Smith, COO of the Armory.

The letter states that subsequent phases of the project were not completed due to a lack of funding. The original vision included a rooftop beer garden and a large lower level with entertainment facilities.

“It’s simple… The landlord was supposed to finance the buildout of the whole thing. When only a fraction was financed, we were left with an incomplete project and drowning in debt. We are working on restructuring the whole thing,” said Jacob Miller, the creator of the concept.

Miller said they knew there was demand for the venue in St. Louis and they were working to raise outside capital to realize the original vision.

The Armory opened as an entertainment complex in December 2023. It is owned by Green Street Real Estate Venues.

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