st. Louis Symphony says Culver House will come down | Local Business

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will demolish the 19th century home in the footprint of the orchestra’s $100 million expansion after no one stepped forward to move the vacant property, the nonprofit said on Thursday.

One party toured the home, known as the Culver House, but ultimately declined to proceed with the relocation, which could have cost between $2.4 million and $3.2 million, the symphony said.

st. Louis-based BSI Constructors is expected to start demolition of the property, just east of Powell Symphony Hall, in mid-July once the city issues a demolition permit, a symphony spokesman said.

Unlike Powell, Culver House is neither in the National Register of Historic Places nor in a protected historic district — designations that could have staved off its razing. The pending demolition prompted an outpouring of opposition from preservationists this past spring, and developer Steve Smith offered to donate his nearby land for the Culver House’s relocation if another party paid for the move.

The symphony said Culver House cannot be incorporated into its renovation designs and that it is neither in the symphony’s mission nor budget to move.

“After much consideration and with the Landmarks Association of St. Louis and historic preservation/restoration experts, and listening to feedback from stakeholders since March 2022, the SLSO has been affirmed in its initial plan to deconstruct and demolish the building discussion,” spokesman Eric Dundon said in an email.