St. Louis Cardinals and other officials break ground on Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium in St. Louis.    UPI/Bill Greenblatt

St. Louis Cardinals and other officials break ground on Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium in St. Louis. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

The St. Louis Cardinals broke ground this morning on Ballpark Village, a mixed-use development on 10-acres adjacent to Busch Stadium. A group of team officials, project participants, and civic leaders commenced work on the $100 million first-phase of the development with the symbolic turning of dirt with commemorative shovels.

“We are excited to break ground on this project as we look forward to Opening Day 2014,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Louis Cardinals. “Ballpark Village promises to be a great extension of the Cardinals brand, providing the best fans in the game with an unrivaled downtown experience every day of the year.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on the exact spot that will be transformed into the vibrant heart of the district – a location that in just over a year’s time will house over 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space including Cardinals Nation, the Budweiser Brew House, and the Live! At Ballpark Village marketplace.

Cardinals Nation will be a first-of-its-kind venue in baseball totaling over 30,000 square feet on three levels. It will include a two story restaurant, a retail store, a Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, a special events space, and a 300-plus seat, ticketed rooftop deck with views into Busch Stadium. A second building will house a 20,000 square foot three-story Budweiser Brew House with a festive rooftop party deck also offering views into Busch Stadium.

The two signature structures will be joined by the Live! At Ballpark Village marketplace, an indoor marketplace with a retractable canopy covering the event space, designed to be a vibrant gathering space throughout the year for thousands of visitors.

“I am very grateful that our persistence has paid off,” said Bill DeWitt III, President of the Cardinals. “I am thrilled to be moving into the construction phase of this project.”

The project is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy with nearly a thousand construction jobs and nearly 500 permanent jobs expected to be created as part of the initial phase alone. The construction of additional phases of Ballpark Village should also have a positive impact on both the local economy and employment picture.