Brett Hull's sports restaurant skates into Wentzville

St. Louis Blues hockey legend Brett Hull has added his name to a new restaurant at The Junction of Wentzville, a 13,600 SF commercial development currently under construction in Wentzville, Mo.

Brett Hull’s Junction House, originally announced as Junction House in March, will be the centerpiece of the rapidly-growing development area and is slated to open in October 2020.

The multi-level eating and drinking establishment will occupy more than 9,400 SF including the main restaurant area, a large covered outdoor patio and a 1,500 SF open-air rooftop suitable for both public use and private events. All three areas of the restaurant will feature a full-service bar and seating for dining with special Brett Hull photos and memorabilia.

“We’ve been in talks with Brett Hull for about two years now and are absolutely thrilled to now have him come on board as a partner and add his name and the energy and excitement he brings to our already exciting venue,” said Keith Horneker, a local entrepreneur, restaurateur and Wentzville resident who developed the Junction House concept along with a group of five other St. Louisans with more than 20 years of combined experience in the local food and beverage industry.

“Having Brett involved has always been our long-term plan, and now we’ll also serve signature cocktails made with Brett’s very own Codigo brand; a super-premium tequila,” Horneker said.

“I’m excited to be part of such a great group and bring such a neat concept to the city of Wentzville,” said Brett Hull.

“As we bring our vision to life and share it with everyone in the community, I’m really happy I could help create jobs in these trying times. I can’t wait to relax out on the rooftop and enjoy some great food and many Codigo cocktails with the great people of Wentzville,” Hull said.

A new fitness gym called F45 Training Wentzville will occupy the remaining 3,000 SF of retail space in the new building and will be located adjacent to Brett Hull’s Junction House. It is also scheduled to open later in October 2020.

“Scoring the fourth most goals in NHL history, Brett is not only the best Blue we’ve ever had, but he’s one of the best to ever play in the NHL. Brett is a hero in our city and we want to prominently feature him throughout our establishment. Brett plans to be at the grand opening next month and plans to visit regularly with friends throughout the year. We’ll be announcing the grand opening date soon,” Horneker said.

Sullivan Bank is providing $4.3 million in construction financing for the project, which is being developed by LayneCo Construction Services. Patrick Wittenbrink of Carmody MacDonald P.C. is representing Horneker and his partners in the development.

Read MWM's previous article on The Junction development here: Restaurant and gym to anchor next phase of The Junction in Wentzville

Centene Community Ice Center's time to shine

It's time to shine for Centene Community Ice Center, the first new indoor ice complex for the St. Louis region in decades.

The $82 million facility, which opened to the public in September 2019, is prepared and excited for the recent spike in the area’s youth hockey programs, driven, in part, by the St. Louis Blues’ “Hockey STL 2020” campaign.

Led by the not-for-profit St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation as a catalyst for the development of the Maryland Park Lake District, the public-private initiative was launched to help bring much-needed ice skating facilities to the region, provide recreational opportunities and drive economic growth through sports tourism. 

"The Centene Community Ice Center is the result of legacies and countless other efforts to create a collaboration between four state, county and local governmental agencies, five major not-for-profit tenants and the NHL’s St. Louis Blues Hockey Club. A unique and massive collaboration of public funding, private donations, tenant contributions and industrial revenue bonds were pooled to make this vision a reality. And in the end, over 1 million visitors will visit our facility annually bringing over $20 million in economic impact each year,” said Patrick Quinn of the St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation.

The collaborative effort to create the multipurpose home for the St. Louis Blues and the surrounding community included design-build partners Mike Kress and Tom Proebstle with Generator Studio and John Komlos, Matt Sander and Jeff Cook with ARCO Construction.

In addition to three indoor sheets, the fourth outdoor rink is multipurpose, intended for winter pond hockey and year-round community events. In warmer weather the rink transforms into a covered 4,400-spectator amphitheater operated by Live Nation.

The center houses the new Mercy Medical Sports Performance Center, the Bauer Skills Training Center, a restaurant, a grab-and-go market, concession stands for every rink and separate locker rooms for the public, Lindenwood and the Blues. 

To increase inclusivity, ARCO and Generator ensured the center was accessible for a broad range of abilities with all three fully adaptable indoor ice rinks. St. Louis Blues Sled Hockey, Blues Blind Hockey and the St. Louis Blues Special Hockey, all call the ice center home. 

“At any point in time, our facility could be playing host to 2,500 fans for a college hockey game or international figure skating event in the main arena, while in another arena we are hosting the highest levels of amateur hockey while a learn-to-play session is happening on yet another ice sheet and all the while a live-band plays rink-side for 500+ kids, teens and adults enjoying a public skating on the expansive covered, outdoor rink,” Quinn said.

The multi-sheet facility is home to multiple tenants including the Blues, Lindenwood University men’s and women’s hockey teams, the AAA Blues and the St. Louis Lady Cyclones.

With a strong emphasis on being a community asset, the majority of available ice time at Centene Community Ice Center will be dedicated to residents, youth, high school and college teams. 

Centene Ice also offers public skating and lessons, various hockey programs for kids, youth and adults and may be rented out for special events. For more information, you may visit their website at www.legacyice.org.