Joe Edwards

Who is Joe Edwards?

Joe Edwards is a businessman, developer, and civic leader who helped revitalize the Delmar Loop area, which connects St. Louis and University City, Missouri. Beginning in the 1970s, Edwards opened businesses and led various efforts that helped transform the Delmar Loop into a vibrant restaurant, shopping, and arts & entertainment districts; in 2007, it was designated "One of the 10 Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association. His nationally renowned Blueberry Hill restaurant and music club opened a new era of owner-operated businesses in the area. His subsequent attractions include the restored 1924 Tivoli Theatre movie theater, The Pageant concert nightclub, Pin-Up Bowl martini lounge and bowling alley, Flamingo Bowl bowling alley and lounge in downtown St. Louis, the luxury boutique Moonrise Hotel, its 8th-floor Rooftop Terrace Bar, and the casual fine-dining Eclipse Restaurant. Edwards has renovated numerous historic buildings.

Among his other efforts in the Loop, Edwards founded the non-profit St. Louis Walk of Fame. He encouraged one-of-a-kind specialty shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions to make The Loop their home. As of 2010, he is spearheading an effort to bring a fixed-track vintage trolley system to The Loop, linking it to Metrolink and Forest Park attractions. In 2010, the project that received a $24.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.