Written by Liz Miller
Visuals by Ella Manthey
For over four decades, an eagle has appeared to nest in a circular window on the south side of the Edison Brothers building at 400 S. 14th Street. On the building’s west side, a statue promoting peace, inspired by a landmark from the 1904 World’s Fair, welcomes you to Downtown St. Louis.
These are just two of the famous scenes depicted in the Trompe L’Oeil-style mural that wraps the 13-story building, one of the most recognizable in the city. Earlier this year, Midas Hospitality announced it is investing $81 million to revitalize the historic 950,000-square-foot building. An additional $1 million gift from the Edison Family Foundation and the Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Foundation will renew the building’s iconic mural designed by world-famous artist Richard Haas, with restoration work set to begin on Aug. 10.
On Monday, July 27, Midas Hospitality assembled its restoration team to detail the work underway to revitalize the mural at a press conference at the Edison Brothers building.
“Today is about something much bigger than restoring a mural,” J.T. Norville, co-founder and chief executive officer of Midas Hospitality, said on Monday. “We’re here to preserve a piece of St. Louis’ story. For more than 40 years, this mural has welcomed residents and visitors of Downtown St. Louis. It has become part of the city’s identity, history, our creativity, and our ambitions. When we made the decision to acquire the Edison Brothers Building, we knew we weren’t simply taking on another redevelopment project. We accepted the responsibility of becoming stewards of an important St. Louis landmark. That commitment extends beyond restoring this beautiful building. It includes preserving the artwork, craftsmanship, and the stories that make this place so special.”
Pictured from left to right: World-famous artist Richard Haas, Andrew Newman, and J.T. Norville.
The building, which currently houses residential condos, will reopen in fall 2027 as the Sheraton St. Louis Downtown, with an updated hotel and public spaces, as well as new street-level amenities.
“As we transform this historic building into the future of Sheraton St. Louis Downtown, our hope is that it becomes far more than a place where travelers stay,” Norville added. “Marriott has reimagined the Sheraton brand as a gathering place for the community, a place where neighbors, visitors, business leaders, and families actually come together. That’s exactly what we hope this building becomes: A place that celebrates St. Louis every day while welcoming people from around the world.”
Haas, who flew in from New York for the event, recalled his early conversations about the mural with Andrew Newman, a member of the Edison family and a local business leader, who commissioned the mural in 1984.
“I said, ‘Well, what were your thoughts about this in terms of the possibilities of the project?’” Haas recalled. “He said, “I only have one thought, and that is, I want you to make it a gift to the city.’ I felt that I had to try to live up to that mandate.”
In addition to Haas and Norville, the Monday press conference included comments from Newman as well as Robert Fishbone, a legendary local artist and owner of On the Wall Productions. Fishbone is coordinating the mural restoration with EverGreene Architectural Arts, which led the painting project 42 years ago. Fishbone was minorly involved in the painting of the original mural, so as for Haas and Newman, it’s meaningful to him to be a part of its renewal.
“I was involved somewhat with it — I painted on it a little bit, I did help supply some of the painters. And of course, it is just breathtaking to watch it appear magically on this building,” Fishbone says. “One of the wonderful things about art at this scale, you get to watch it happen. You get to watch artists at work. And you really get involved with it. I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to the city in that not just do people see being creative, but, if you’re driving almost any place Downtown, it becomes a part of your life.”
A view of the tuckpointing work currently happening on the building.
Reflecting on the investment and commitment to restoring the mural over four decades later, Fishbone applauded Midas Hospitality and the Edison Family Foundation and the Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Foundation.
“I think people are really going to be moved when they understand the complete investment that went into restoring this mural,” Fishbone says. “And not just the money, but the vision, the hard work. I’m in the project, and I’m impressed by what’s going on. And I think that people are generally going to be moved by seeing this mural restored in a really great way.”
Newman, who commissioned Haas to design the original mural, hopes the investment from his family’s foundations as well as the significant investment from Midas Hospitality, will serve as a call to action for additional investment in St. Louis.
“We should all be considering what we can do to help our great city,” Newman says. “Take this project as a symbol of what can be done. Here’s an asset that’s showing its age: Do we let our Downtown fade? Or do we step up and invest as Midas has done so bravely and effectively to make us continue to be proud St. Louis? Good things are happening in our town. This is just one of them. We’re honored to play part of it.”
In a 1984 story about the original mural in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Haas expressed the hope that not only would the building endure for decades to come, but that it would remain vibrant.
“This mural will last longer than any of us,” Haas told the paper. “And if they can find the drawings when it does deteriorate, they can do it again.”
Over four decades later, thanks to local investment, that hope will become a reality.
“We hope this building becomes another beacon of progress and momentum shaping the future of our great city,” Norville said on Monday. “Momentum breeds momentum, and momentum is contagious. Every successful investment builds confidence. Confidence attracts more investment. More investment creates opportunity. Opportunity brings more people to experience everything our city has to offer. We’re honored that the project will play a small part in creating that momentum.”
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer attended the press conference on Monday.
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