Joe Edwards, the restaurateur and developer known for reviving the University City Loop, has sold Flamingo Bowl, a 12-lane art deco bowling alley at 1117 Washington Avenue, to St. Louis-based Oliver Properties. The venue, which opened in 2007, closed to regular customers over the summer. The sale is among several property deals Edwards has made during 2026.
Oliver Properties bought Flamingo Bowl in late September, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reported the sale in a story by retail reporter Hannah Wyman. The Post-Dispatch reports that Oliver Properties founder Alex Oliver did not share the transaction price. Oliver told the paper his firm spoke with Edwards on and off for about a year about potentially taking over the downtown bowling business, and that Oliver Properties was not seriously interested in the real estate at first.
Oliver told the Post-Dispatch that the company plans to keep the Flamingo Bowl name and character. He said he has no desire to enter more entertainment businesses and that Oliver Properties is primarily a real estate development firm.
What Happens to the Alley Now
Flamingo Bowl opened in 2007 on the ground floor of Lucas Lofts in downtown St. Louis. The venue's website says it is currently open for private events only, which are not subject to its usual age restrictions. It also says daily operations, including walk-in bowling and the bar, are expected to reopen under new management this fall.
The website also lays out the alley's standard booking rules: lane reservations should be made 48 hours in advance and require a non-refundable $10 deposit per lane, and after 7 p.m. all guests must be 21 or older with valid ID. The Post-Dispatch reports that event customers will also be able to purchase catering packages from vendors at a nearby food hall.
A Food Hall Taking Shape Across the Street
Oliver Properties was nearing the opening of a new Washington Avenue food hall across the street from Flamingo Bowl, according to the Post-Dispatch's reporting. Separately, St. Louis Magazine has reported on the same project, called Wash Ave Food Hall, developed by Alex Oliver's Oliver Properties in the former Reign nightclub and Copia Restaurant and Wine Garden space, with an October 2026 opening target. St. Louis Magazine's reporting describes the venue as designed to combine dining, entertainment and social interaction rather than function as a traditional food hall, with plans for recurring entertainment and community events.
Washington Avenue Food Hall
Sauce Magazine reported that Oliver Properties is developing the Washington Avenue Food Hall at 1120 Washington Ave., the same project as the Wash Ave Food Hall across the street from Flamingo Bowl. The report said the project was slated to open in spring 2026 and that Oliver Properties broke ground on it Sept. 23, according to Sauce Magazine.
St. Louis Magazine's coverage of the project has given differing size figures: one report described it as a 14,000-square-foot venue with two bars and eight food concepts, while another described the planned space as a 10,000-square-foot destination featuring eight food-and-beverage concepts and two central bars. The magazine's reporting does not explain the discrepancy. Oliver Properties told the magazine it has invested more than $150 million in the Washington Avenue area, including more than 650 residential units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space, and has acquired five Washington Avenue buildings totaling 500 apartments, according to a separate St. Louis Public Radio report.
Downtown's Slow Climb Back
That St. Louis Public Radio reporting also points to other signs of downtown investment, including the Six Cord Apartments, where occupancy rose from 30% during renovations to more than 90% in the following months. The report notes Six Cord has 212 market-rate apartments, with one-bedroom units renting for $1,300 a month and two-bedrooms running $1,500 to $1,800. Elsewhere downtown, the Cordish Companies was selected to carry out a $670 million mixed-use redevelopment of the Millennium Hotel site, per the same report.
Edwards's Long Run of Sales
Edwards has offloaded multiple properties during 2026, continuing a pattern that includes selling nine properties to Washington University three years before this latest deal and selling his share of the Pageant concert hall. He is known for revitalizing the University City Loop and opened Blueberry Hill, the restaurant and music club, in 1972, according to Blueberry Hill. Over the years he has also been involved with the Tivoli Theatre, Peacock Diner, Moonrise Hotel, Magic Mini Golf and Delmar Hall, established the St. Louis Walk of Fame, and advocated for the Loop Trolley.
