Joe Edwards, the man who spent decades turning the Delmar Loop into a St. Louis destination, has sold the Moonrise Hotel at 6177 Delmar Blvd. and the former Magic Mini Golf site at 6160 Delmar Blvd. to Rod Thomas.
Joe Edwards opened the Moonrise Hotel in April 2009, an eight-story property with a space-themed design, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The hotel was part of Edwards's broader vision for restoring vibrancy to the Delmar Loop, according to the Moonrise Hotel, which also notes that the historic facade of a building that once stood on the site was preserved during construction. Contemporaneous coverage from stltoday.com identified Edwards as the hotel's owner at the time it opened.
The Moonrise is a 125-room hotel.
Edwards Reflects on an Iconic Loop Institution
The sale is part of a broader downsizing of Edwards's real estate holdings along the Delmar Loop, a stretch that has grown into an entertainment hub of restaurants and attractions under his influence, per the same report.
Thomas purchased the former Magic Mini Golf venue from Edwards. Magic Mini Golf's closure earlier this year had already signaled change was coming — coverage from bizjournals.com noted the venue suggested a new concept was planned for the space. Another stltoday.com report at the time described Edwards as closing the indoor miniature golf attraction less than three years after he had opened it.
A Loop Legacy Built Over Decades
Edwards opened Blueberry Hill in 1972, and it remains one of the ventures he still owns. Over the years he also had a range of other Loop ventures, including the Tivoli Theatre, Peacock Diner, the Moonrise Hotel, Magic Mini Golf and Delmar Hall, according to the same report.
Beyond individual businesses, Edwards founded the St. Louis Walk of Fame and led the launch of the Loop Trolley. He previously sold some businesses and nine of his Loop properties to Washington University, and has also been selling his interest in The Pageant.
The sale of the Moonrise and former mini-golf site marks another change for the Delmar Loop.
