St. Louis' public-TV station is packing up its Grand Center headquarters for a temporary move, but the real change is coming when it moves back. Nine PBS is launching a $30 million gut renovation meant to turn an aging broadcast facility into a more open, collaborative community media hub.
The station says its programming will continue on air and online throughout construction, even as staff, studios and equipment shift around the city. The project is intended to modernize the building without putting Nine PBS' 24/7 operation on pause, according to Nine PBS.
Nine PBS Is Trading 45,000 Square Feet For A Temporary 15,000
As reported by St. Louis Magazine, Nine PBS is moving this month to a temporary office in Forest Park Southeast while its Grand Center headquarters is gutted. The temporary space is about one-third the size of the station's current 45,000-square-foot home, and the station expects to return in early fall 2027 with roughly 80 employees working in a redesigned environment.
A 1998 TV Station Gets Rebuilt For A New Media Era
Nine PBS' headquarters was designed in 1998, when television stations needed far more room for videotape and large editing equipment. The station now says it needs more room for people, community gatherings and flexible collaboration than for the hardware that once dominated the building.
Project architect Trivers describes the renovation as a reimagining of the nearly 30-year-old facility into a modern community media hub. Plans call for an airy lobby, cafe, prominent staircase, updated control room, accessible infrastructure and flexible spaces designed to bring staff, visitors and community partners together.
The Station Chose A Full Relocation Over Phased Construction
Nine PBS considered phasing the project while keeping staff on site, but that approach would have cost more and extended the disruption, according to St. Louis Magazine. During the temporary move, the station's Donnybrook program will tape in Brentwood, while the smaller Forest Park Southeast office handles much of the administrative operation.
The station is also raising money beyond the renovation itself, with Nine PBS reporting that its broader capital campaign had reached $27 million and was seeking roughly $12 million more for related work. The fundraising is separate from the station's regular operating budget, according to Nine PBS' project information.
One Last Daniel Tiger Send-Off Before Construction
Before the old headquarters disappears behind construction barriers, Nine PBS plans to hold Be My Neighbor Day: Let's Build on Saturday, August 29. The event is expected to feature Daniel Tiger, fire trucks and other family activities, giving Grand Center one final public-media send-off before the station settles into its temporary home.
When Nine PBS returns, the building should look less like a television station built for the videotape era and more like a place where St. Louisans can gather, collaborate and help shape the stories being told about the region. For a public broadcaster that has spent decades inviting viewers into its programs, the next move is about inviting more of them through the front door.
