Brewery seeks to open in old Central West End church

Cathedral Square Brewery wants to convert a 105-year-old church in St. Louis' Central West End into a brewery, bar, restaurant and event space.

Brewery owners Dr. Gurpreet Padda and Ami Grimes have applied for liquor licenses and, pending their approval, intend to buy the former Holy Corners Second Baptist Church at 500 North Kingshighway Boulevard.

The 40,000-square-foot building is listed for sale at $1.65 million; Cathedral Square's buildout would cost about $3.5 million to $4 million, according to a letter Padda submitted to 28th Ward Alderwoman Lyda Krewson.

Since opening three years ago, Cathedral Square's official home has been 3914 Lindell Boulevard, the old site of the Playboy Club and, more recently, City Grille & Brewhaus. But long-discussed plans to open a brewpub there have yet to materialize, and most Cathedral Square beer is contract-brewed across the state, in Weston.

"We have received significant accolades for the quality of our product and anticipate significant additional growth," Padda wrote in his letter. "We ... are looking for a permanent location for our brew haus and restaurant complex."

Cathedral Square tripled its production in 2011, according to the Brewers Association, brewing about 750 barrels of beer, up from 250 barrels the previous year.

The former sanctuary of the 1907 church would be the brewpub's main seating area, with outdoor dining available in a center courtyard. Cathedral Square's proposed hours would be 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday.

Padda, who, along with Grimes, also owns Sanctuaria, Diablitos, Cafe Ventana and other local ventures, noted in his letter that Cathedral Square would keep noise, light and other disturbances to a minimum.

"We are not a dancehall. We are not a nightclub. We do not have stadium speakers. We are not predominantly a bar; less than 50 percent of our total sales are bar sales."

Padda last year had considered moving Sanctuaria to a historic church across the street from the old Second Baptist.

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Brewery seeks to open in old Central West End church