The 106-year-old building on 21st Street is just a short golf cart ride from the soccer stadium in Downtown West. Video by Steph Kukuljan, Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — Lee Broughton is just a short golf-cart ride to the ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC stadium from his five-story Downtown West office.
Broughton, the team’s chief brand architect and a member of the ownership group, led media on a tour of the owners’ new headquarters, what they’re calling the “SoMa House,†for “South-of-Market.â€
“It’s like the jewel in the crown of our soccer district,†Broughton said.
The ownership group — the Taylor family, of car rental giant Enterprise, and World Wide Technology CEO Jim Kavanaugh — bought the building in 2019 for nearly $5 million and spent three years and $15 million renovating it.
It hired ºüÀêÊÓƵ-based Christner as the architect and designer, Kiku Obata provided artist coordination for mural artwork and ºüÀêÊÓƵ-based BSI Constructors as the general contractor. The building was originally built in 1918 to fabricate generators. Most recently, it was a climbing gym.
The entire northside of the property was removed to install a glass façade that offers a ceiling-to-floor view onto the training facility and the district.
The first floor of the building, at 326 South 21st Street, west of Union Station, will be available for rent for private and corporate events as well as watch parties, Broughton said.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct Kiku Obata's role in the project.Â
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O'Malley discusses the team's return to training in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, final preseason g…
The third and fourth floor area of ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC’s new corporate headquarters, called SoMa House, features a large window that gives sweeping views of the practice fields and the ºüÀêÊÓƵ skyline as seen during a tour on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.
Soccer team scarfs from around the world are displayed in a meeting space on the third floor of ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's new team headquarters, called SoMa House, as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.
The second floor balcony overlooking an event space in ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's SoMa House, the team's headquarters, located on the southeast corner of the City SC's complex in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. The strips of color represents the flags of different countries the team's employees and players come from. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
An exterior view of ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's SoMa House, the team's headquarters, located on the southeast corner of the City SC's complex in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Custom art is featured on the walls of first floor event space in ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's SoMa House, the team's headquarters, located on the southeast corner of the City SC's complex in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Lee Broughton, left, CITY SC Chief Brand Architect and ownership group member, walks past a quote from Mahatma Gandhi as he gives a tour in ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's SoMa House, the team's headquarters, located on the southeast corner of the City SC's complex in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
The second floor balcony overlooking an event space in ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC's SoMa House, the team's headquarters, located on the southeast corner of the City SC's complex in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as seen on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. The strips of color represents the flags of different countries the team's employees and players come from. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com