Joe Edwards is a

businessman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

, developer, and civic leader who helped revitalize the

Delmar Loop The Delmar Loop, often referred to by St. Louis residents simply as The Loop, is an entertainment, cultural and restaurant district in University City, Missouri and the adjoining western edge of St. Louis near Washington University in St. Lou ...

area, which connects

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

and

University City, Missouri University City (colloquially, U. City) is an inner-ring suburb of the city of St. Louis in St. Louis County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was measured at 35,065 by the 2020 census. The city is one of the older suburbs in th ...

. Dubbed "The Duke of Delmar" by ''St. Louis'' ''Magazine'', he opened his first business in The Loop in the 1970s and has since led efforts to transform the Delmar Loop into one of the most vibrant restaurant, shopping, and arts-and-entertainment districts in the country. In 2007, the American Planning Association named The Loop "One of the 10 Great Streets in America. In 1972, Edwards opened

Blueberry Hill "Blueberry Hill" is a popular American song published in 1940 and first recorded and released by Sammy Kaye in 1940 on RCA Victor. It is best remembered for its 1950s rock and roll version by Fats Domino. Glenn Miller peaked at no. 2 on the ' ...

restaurant and music club, sparking a decades-long revitalization of the street. Rock legend and

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

inductee

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

performed 209 monthly concerts in Blueberry Hill's Duck Room. Edwards has since renovated numerous historic buildings in The Loop and around St. Louis and encouraged one-of-a-kind specialty shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions to make The Loop their home. His own ventures include saving and restoring the 1924 Tivoli Theatre movie theater (1995), and opening such establishments as

The Pageant The Pageant (also called The Pageant Concert Nightclub) is a popular American nightclub in St. Louis, Missouri. Built as a dedicated nightclub, The Pageant first opened its doors on October 19, 2000. It was named for a "long-gone Pageant movi ...

concert nightclub (2000), Pin-Up Bowl martini lounge and

bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...

(2003), Flamingo Bowl bowling alley and lounge on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis (2007), the boutique Moonrise Hotel (2009), the Peacock Diner (closed 2025) (2014), Delmar Hall concert club (2016), and Magic Mini Golf (2023). The-pageant-joe-edwards

In 1988, Edwards founded the non-profit

St. Louis Walk of Fame The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors notable people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to the culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years ther ...

to honor great St. Louisans and their contributions to American culture. More than 150 inductees are described in brass stars and informative bronze plaques set into the Loop's sidewalks. In 2013, he published an updated St. Louis Walk of Fame book. The non-profit donates a copy to every St. Louis metro area junior high and high school library. In 1997, Edwards began leading an effort to bring a fixed-track vintage trolley system to The Loop, with two stops near MetroLink stations and its east end in Forest Park near the

history museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

. In 2010, the

Delmar Loop Trolley The Loop Trolley is a , 10-station heritage streetcar line in and near the Delmar Loop area of greater St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It opened for service in 2018, then shut down in 2019 after revenue fell far short of projections. Servic ...

project received a $24.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. It opened and began operation in 2018, after much controversy regarding the effect of years-long construction on neighborhood businesses, with concerns rising about the trolley's long-term profitability. On December 29, 2019, after just over a year of operation, the trolley temporarily paused operations due to low ridership and lack of funds but in 2023 it reopened and runs Thursdays through Sundays during the warmer months. In 2003, Edwards received the St. Louis Award. Between 2004 and 2006, Edwards received an honorary doctorate of laws from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Saint Louis University in 2005, and an honorary doctorate of humanitarian letters from the

University of Missouri-St. Louis A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

. In 2013, Edwards received Washington University's Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award. On September 12, 2013, Edwards received the lifetime achievement award from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis for his work in historic preservation and community revitalization. In 2022, Blueberry Hill turned 50 years old. In 2023, he opened Magic Mini Golf across from the Pageant and Moonrise Hotel in the Delmar Loop. It has 18 holes of whimsical indoor miniature golf, two full-size shuffleboard courts, and a 5-car Ferris wheel. His 27-foot tall animated neon sign and marquee for Magic Mini Golf won a juried Signs of the Times international sign award in 2023. Designed by Edwards and his daughter Hope Edwards, the colorful blinking sign features a retro-style man and woman swinging golf clubs. As the figures putt, the golf ball moves across the sign which rises over a custom-designed curved semicircular marquee.

References

External links

2000 profile of Joe Edwards

Joe Edwards named a St. Louis Luminary by St. Louis Magazine

Biographical timeline and photographs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Joe Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Businesspeople from St. Louis Duke University alumni Washington University in St. Louis alumni John Burroughs School alumni