Another Collapse at Lemp Brewery
Date Posted: February 4, 2025
Posted In: News,
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Another portion of a historic Lemp Brewery building collapsed this weekend in the city’s Benton Park neighborhood, but its owner said he was already in the middle of demolishing it.
Lemp Brewery owner Shashi Palamand said the portion that fell this weekend was opposite the wing that partially collapsed in 2020.
January’s snowstorm, followed by the arctic blast of cold air, “infiltrated the brick layers of the building in that wall section, which finally gave way” when it warmed back up, he said. He had put demolition on hold because of the weather.
“In a way, Mother Nature did some of the demolition for us,” Palamand said. “And I say that because fortunately nobody got hurt. There were no injuries, no other property damage. It fell straight down, which is what we hoped for. So once we get it cleaned up, we’re going to resume the demolition.”
The fire department said it was called at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday to the collapse, which happened on the south side of Cherokee Street near the intersection of 18th Street.
St. Louis fire Capt. Garon Mosby confirmed no one was in the building when Saturday’s collapse happened and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters cordoned off the collapsed part of the building, Mosby said, and called the city’s building division.