ST. LOUIS – Fresh concrete is being laid down outside the Enterprise Center as some tremendous heat gets in the way.
“The concrete all around the building was falling and making trip hazards for pedestrians and stuff, so they decided to go in and pour, try to fix it in front of all the doors,” Chris Burkemper, a technician at Concrete Strategies, said.
Hockey fans will get to see something new as they walk in to get tickets and merchandise at the Enterprise Center, as the walkway around the home of the Blues is in the process of getting replaced.
Burkemper wanted to make sure he and his team completed their work before it got too hot.
“It’s easier to pour in the mornings. The concrete’s not as hot or it doesn’t set up as fast, so it makes it a lot easier to pour in the mornings,” he said.
Before pouring the concrete, workers needed to rip up the old walkway. They did so in cooler, drier temperatures.
On Tuesday, they needed to take extra precautions, like mixing electrolyte powder into their water to stay hydrated and energized.
“A lot of the companies that we work for have cooling stations, where they’ll have fans and set up tents for shade,” Burkemper said. “So, you can take breaks when you get too hot.”
The new sidewalk starts at the Enterprise Center’s Ford entrance on 14th Street and cuts between the team store and statues of legendary Blues players Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, and Bernie Federko.
“We’re gonna do all of this, but we got cut off because of hockey season,” Burkemper added.
The Blues will host the Chicago Blackhawks on September 28 for the club’s first preseason game of the 2024-25 season.
