ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Chess Club on Friday provided more details about its planned expansion in the Central West End, saying its campus will operate in a 20,000-square-foot space adjacent to its existing club facility at Maryland and Euclid avenues.
The St. Louis Chess Club, located at 4657 Maryland Ave., in November finalized a deal to lease space previously occupied by Brennan's, Culpeppers Grill and Bar and FroYo, all adjacent to the existing Chess Club facility. With the deal, Culpepper's shuttered its 300 N. Euclid location, and the FroYo at 4553 Maryland Ave. closed. Brennan's, which closed its original location at 4659 Maryland Ave., is running a booze and snacks delivery service until it relocates around the corner to 316 N. Euclid.
The St. Louis Chess Club expansion, its first since starting up in 2008, will allow the club to amplify community efforts, providing the opportunity to host larger community events and tournaments to attract more chess fans to St. Louis, officials said.
The 20,000-square foot area will encompass a larger club facility and Kingside Diner, adjacent to the existing club. The expansion will allocate the entire first floor to classroom space, an expanded area for tournaments, an improved community gathering space, and an elevator and other ADA-compliant upgrades. Revamped technology will be incorporated throughout the chess campus, officials said.
In addition to increased interest in chess drawing more players and fans to the region, increased viewership and participation in online chess during the pandemic prompted officials to include an improved video production studio to live stream from the club on Twitch.tv, YouTube and other social media platforms.
The chess-themed Kingside Diner on the campus will be renovated with new decor and equipment, with a new menu and dining hours. More information on the restaurant's name and other details will be released later this year, officials said.
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