Culver House faces destruction if Powell Hall expansion wins preservation board approval

The St. Louis Preservation Board will meet today to review the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s plans for a $100 million renovation and expansion of Powell Hall.

Preservationists are opposed to a key part of the project, one that would demolish Culver House, a historic home next to Powell Hall.

The 19th-century, Queen Anne-style home at 3514 Delmar Blvd. in Grand Center sits on the space the orchestra has included in its $100 million renovation project. A 65,000-square-foot expansion would include a new entryway, rehearsal areas, interior additions and a new lobby.

“We're really excited that we're preserving our Powell Hall for future generations, expanding the access to our community,” Yolanda Alovar, a spokesperson for the orchestra said. “We've been developing a salvage plan to preserve the cultural and historical architectural elements of the building (Powell Hall) and we'll share those plans with our communities as soon as they become available.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/culture-history/2022-03-28/st-louis-preservation-board-to-review-if-slso-can-demolish-the-culver-house