52nd City: Bye-bye Avalon?

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October 23, 2005

Bye-bye Avalon?

Having become obsessed with my new camera over the last week, I've been revisiting an old interest of mine, namely the dead, demolished and readapted movie houses around St. Louis City and near-County. Earlier this afternoon, a bright, breezy Sunday, I stopped by the Avalon, at Kingshighway and Chippewa. After snapping a couple pictures of the south exterior wall, I was amazed to see a head pop over the roofline.

After asking what I was doing, he confessed to being the owner of the building, though "it (won't) be here long now." According to a very informal and unofficial "interview," the fella, still peering out over a small jut in the roof, said that a Sam's Club was going to be built across the street, on the site of the old Kriegshauser Mortuary and the Mary Magdalen sports field, along with a couple of other plots, including a gas station. He said that "it turned out the land was worth a bit of money... it's a busy intersection."

Over the years, I'd heard various people daydream about turning the place into a readapted theatre, especially, a "brew-and-view," popular in other cities as a place to drink and watch campy films. Those idle musings seem to be out the window now, if this quick conversation's to be believed. Meanwhile, mid-City could be seeing more construction, though of the new, chain-style variety. Though not specific about how his aged building would fit in, one would assume that the building wouldn't be remodelled, but would be razed and the plot built anew.

Shame to see the old landmark go, but considering the current, crumbling shape and the continued suburbanization of Southwest City, I wouldn't bet on it being a part of landscape too much longer.

The funniest thing about the meeting, for me, was the fact that I'd tried to reach the owner of the Avalon multiple times, for stories over the years. Could this have been the infamous Greg Tsevis, up there checking the bricks, making sure they weren't going to fall on a passerby? Seems that instead of using the phone, I should've just pointed a camera at the building.

Posted by Thomas Crone at 10:15 PM | Miscellaneous & Eclectic

Comments

It's "As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced."

Posted by cyr on Sun., Oct 23, 2005 at 11:34 PM

Short balding guy? kinda remind you of Danny Devito's character in Taxi?

If it was Greg, i wouldnt give too much credence to his claim. As far back as 1992-ish, when the Avalon was a regular host to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Greg would talk about the discussions he'd been having with Wal-Mart about buying the theater to put a walmart on the corner of Kingshighway and Chippewa. 13 years later, and his mouth is still the only place i've heard of such a redevelopment plan.

I've read numerous people over the years wondering why he hasnt sold and/or fixed up the Avalon, and i'm fairly certain it's because he still believes he's going to make a killing on it when wal-mart comes to town.

Posted by topher on Mon., Oct 24, 2005 at 9:57 AM

From the stories I've heard, maybe he was peeking out from his temporary made permanent address?

A Sam's Club on the site of Mullally Field? Better check my sources. Kriegshauser is closing or closed.

Consolidation of everything east of Kingshighway and south of Shop and Save is on the minds of some people.

"Ripe for a TIF" they say.

Posted by rick on Mon., Oct 24, 2005 at 1:58 PM

Granted the building is run down.

See photos here: http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=1120

It still irks me that no one tried to pry it from Tsevis's warm, living hands. I hate that there are no more of the cozy theaters like the Avalon or the Kingsland. Okay, maybe cozy isn't the word. You get what I mean though, right?

Someone needs to convert one of the vacant public schools into a fancy art house theater. Or maybe Magic Johnson could put one of his multiplexes on the Pruitt Igoe site.

Posted by Jim on Tue., Oct 25, 2005 at 1:44 AM

Oh my god, Thomas, you're almost as good as Tom Barkman, my OTHER favorite Tom aside from you and the Weber, the ADD beer drinkin' sweatastic son of a gun.

Posted by Sarah T on Tue., Oct 25, 2005 at 7:45 AM

oh god no. Please no Sam's Club down there, that's the last thing the neighborhood needs. We'll hang in there with the giant big box of Office Depot and Petsmart, but do we really need to turn Kingshighway into a North South version of Manchester Road in the county?

Posted by matt w on Tue., Oct 25, 2005 at 9:32 AM

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