R&B singer Charlie Wilson, coming to the Ambassador

Four years ago, Craig Spruill was forced to close down the Ambassador concert venue and banquet hall in Northland Plaza to make room for a new retail development.

Now he has it up and running again in a new, larger facility at 9800 Halls Ferry Road, and he’s picking up where the old one left off — with exceptions.

Already, it has featured shows from the Whispers, Midnight Starr, Glenn Jones, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Cherrelle. More are on the way, including Lakeside on Saturday, Charlie Wilson on June 21 and a comedy show with J. Anthony Brown on June 20.

A “Legends of Funk” show with the Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun and Ohio Players is scheduled for July 18.

Spruill says he’s simply looking to fill the Ambassador with “acts that’ll draw, acts that people like and not dead acts. Some of those acts are acts I liked growing up.”

Though hip-hop was a staple at the old spot, it won’t be at the new location.  “(St. Louis) County won’t allow it,” he says. “In order to get my licenses, we agreed to not do those type of acts. I got $3 million tied up in this. I can’t lose that.”

That hurts a bit because the hip-hop acts were among his most profitable shows, Spruill says. He may book some ’tween acts instead.

Comedy will be kept in the mix regularly on Thursday nights with Maurice G, and Spruill is keeping $2 Tuesdays, an old Ambassador staple, offering all drinks for $2 each.

The new Ambassador is 77,000 square feet, compared with the original’s 27,000 square feet. It houses three rooms, including the 1,600-capacity main room, mostly for national acts, and the Klymaxx Room, a large cocktail lounge for 450 people.

Spruill says the sound and light systems have been improved, which should please detractors of the old Ambassador, and the accommodations are much better for his performers.

It’s hard to forget that night in 2002 when jazzy singer Rachelle Ferrell performed at the old Ambassador. She cried during her performance, complaining that her dressing room smelled of urine and that the venue lighting was dim so she couldn’t see how dirty it was.

To this day he refers to her as his arch enemy.  “She won’t be at the new Ambassador,” Spruill says. “I would burn the place down first.”

His other business, Spruill’s nightspot, remains near downtown. “We’re doing OK,” he says. “We could be doing a whole lot better. The economy isn’t what it should be.  “I try to do different things at different times.”

Get more information on the Ambassador at 314-869-9090. A website is coming.