The newly renovated Shaw Theatre will re-open as Wild Carrot this week with an invitation-only event Thursday evening. Laura and Casey Bunch own and operate the boutique style event space and are excited to open after nearly four years of planning and development. The two gave NextSTL the first exclusive look inside as finishing touches were still being made.

The 7,500 square foot facility is located at 3901 Shaw on the corner of 39th and Shaw and will play host to private events (corporate and wedding), neighborhood and community gatherings, movie nights, theatre, yoga, and concerts. When asked why she and Casey wanted to pursue their dream of owning a venue, Laura said, “We love creative events and saw a need in St. Louis for a non-traditional, multi-use venue run by young entrepreneurs.”

Formerly the structure was home to the Shaw Theatre through the 1960’s, a pharmacy and then more recently local convenience store the Salamah’s Market. The building was acquired by the Bunch’s from the City of St. Louis through a competitive RFP process completed in 2016.

Design-build firm UIC executed the vision with financing from CBIC (formerly The Private Bank). The $1.5 million project received state historic tax credits and ten-year tax abatement.