St. Louis Then and Now: The Flying Saucer Building on South Grand Boulevard

By Jaime Lees on Mon, Dec 9, 2019 at 9:18 am

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THEN:
NOW:

click to enlarge

SCREENSHOT FROM Google Maps

So cool.

This saucer-shaped building next to Forest Park Parkway has a long history of servicing St. Louis. Built in 1967, the space age structure at 212 S. Grand was originally a Phillips 66 station.

The unique building then served as a Naugles, and after that it became a (much-missed) Del Taco location before morphing into its current form: a Starbucks/Chipotle combination frequented by college kids from St. Louis University.

The futuristic form has been protected from blighting and demolition over the years by preservation groups. The groups were backed by local politicians who made moves to save the building for the people of St. Louis, who love it dearly. (But wish it was still a Del Taco.)

St. Louis Then and Now is a recurring feature in the Riverfront Times that highlights the history, beauty and changes in St. Louis. If you have a tip or an interesting old photo to share please email [email protected]

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