I’ve been blogging about this one throughout the year, posting pictures on Twitter and Instagram, talking about the project in relation to Fox Park living. In full disclosure, I’ve lived in this neighborhood for ~10 years.
So when we read about this project in February, 2019 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, we were thrilled.
Rung for Women is a non-profit with ties to the Taylor Family (Enterprise in Clayton, MO) and the MLS ownership group. It is led by women with an incredible mission:
“Rung will serve women who want to achieve holistic self-sufficiency and long-term family stability. Just as there are many great organizations aiding women in crisis, there are many supporting women with defined career paths and financial stability. Rung fills a very important, existing gap for women who are in transition from poverty to sustained, holistic success.”
They will bring together many services and agencies in one place, all aimed at elevating women to grow and achieve sustained independence. Offerings will include financial management services, education, training, employment and career development and also promote family stability, and physical and mental well-being.
This massive project takes up ~3.5 acres, almost a full city block just south of our neighborhood park.
There would be change. There would be compromise with the acceptance of a project this large.
There were buildings demo’d to make way for the project. You can see the three in the map image above. The site plan is a bit sprawling with a lot of surface parking and “greenspace”. I’ve never understood why organizations don’t want to use the several public gardens we already have and encourage walking and being part of the neighborhood. Many times, these small city gardens have trouble getting enough people to care for them. But, this site plan calls for a lot of unused green space and additional gardens that we already have in spades in Fox Park.
But, man is this going to refresh the former industrial properties when this part of town made/sold things like barber chairs, cars, paint, windows, awnings and millwork.
The Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis will also be moving their offices here from the small town suburb of Brentwood, MO. The $20M investment is something we’re not used to seeing in this part of town. It will be great to see people on this formerly dead part of the neighborhood.
And, the building itself will be a mix of old and new.
Here are some interior renderings from Christner, the suburban design firm chosen for this project:
Here are some recent photos of the building site:
