ST. LOUIS- Each day, the full reveal gets a little closer. St. Louis CITY SC, still months away from makings it's Major League Soccer debut next spring, has now opened its practice fields adjacent to the Centene Stadium complex in the Downtown West neighborhood. The fields and the training center are getting broken in by the franchise’s entry in the new MLS Next Pro league, along with the international players already acquired to play for the top club in 2023.

An electrical glitch interrupted plans to christen Centene Stadium with its first soccer match this weekend, and it’s not clear if the new arena will host Next Pro playoff rounds should CITY2 advance. 

Whenever the stadium does officially open, it will have a new-look neighbor across the street.

Maggie O’Brien’s Restaurant & Irish Pub, at 2000 Market Street, closed for renovations in July and owner Eddie McVey aims to reopen October 1.

McVey already has something in common with Lutz Pfannenstiel, CITY’s Sporting Director. Pfannenstiel has focused on the flow of the team’s training complex, with intentional touches down to how certain doors open.

McVey has done the same with the redesigned restaurant and bar, in business since 1979 but without major work since roughly 1990. He wouldn’t disclose specifics, not wanting to spoil a big reveal, but said when finished, there will be better access for staff from the kitchen to the floor, and “a ton more bar space.”

“You know where the spots are that slow you down, man if we just had this, if we just had that, you know so in the process of all this we tried to set this up more from the standpoint of a restaurant and a bar what would make this thing flow a little bit better,” he said.

The new space will hold more people and will also add to McVey’s overall employee count. He’s still hiring.

“If there was ever a time to do this and take the chance on what it’s going to take money wise and all that, it’s now because if I can tie this in with the stadium and say hey we’re also the same old Maggie O’Briens but with a new look and a little cleaner, a little more up to date, it would go hand in hand so that was really what did it,” McVey said.

“Just having more things going on around us whether it be other bars and restaurants that’s a good thing too but certainly a stadium of that size, it helps from a security standpoint having more things going on more action, it helps from bettering the city of St. Louis,” he added.

The neighborhood will be getting some more imports on the restaurant front later next month, when the London Tea Room reopens at 1900 Locust. Owner Jackie James highlighted the proximity to the stadium in announcing the move from the current location on Morganford, effective October 15. The new location offers more space to handle private events and walk-in business, James wrote.