ST. LOUIS (AP) - Four siblings in the family that founded Anheuser-Busch now say they want to buy out their siblings’ stakes in the sprawling St. Louis-area Grant’s Farm animal refuge that recently had been offered for sale, drawing skepticism from another sibling who wants the property.
The new offer by Beatrice Busch von Gontard, Peter Busch, Trudy Busch Valentine and Andrew D. Busch comes after the unsuccessful arrangement with the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (https://bit.ly/1Xk9VN3 ) reported.
The four said they won’t change the farm and plan to run it for the long term. The new offer essentially would have them buying out two other siblings’ shares of the family trust that owns Grant’s Farm.
Another sibling, William “Billy” Busch, has fought since November to keep the property and has offered $24.1 million for it - a proposal backed by the eldest sibling, Adolphus Busch.
“I absolutely intend to continue pursuing the purchase of the property from our family trust,” Billy Busch said in a statement Thursday.
The offer by the four siblings, he wrote, “includes very few details and certainly no guarantees or assurances that they would not sell Grant’s Farm in the future to developers or other entities.”
Grant’s Farm has drawn 25 million guests since it opened in 1954. It includes some 900 animals - ranging from exotic birds to camels, kangaroos and elephants - and also is home to some of the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. It is named for Civil War general and former President Ulysses S. Grant, who originally worked a portion of the land.
Under Billy Busch’s plan, Grant’s Farm would remain a free tourist attraction but would add a new pavilion, exhibits and life-sized bronze statues of his parents, as well as being open year-round.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, formed when InBev purchased the brewery in 2008, currently leases the south St. Louis County land from the family. In November, the St. Louis Zoo Association said it was approached by Busch family members about buying Grant’s Farm for about $30 million, and that Anheuser-Busch InBev would donate most of the money to the zoo for the purchase.
Zoo leaders had sought to use the farm for a third campus and its extensive breeding site for endangered animals. But the zoo aborted its planned purchase last month, citing a survey that showed most people prefer to keep the popular attraction in the family that founded Anheuser-Busch. The zoo association also cited concerns about litigation among the Busch family members.
___
Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, https://www.stltoday.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.