A decade after civil unrest shook North St. Louis County, the community is taking a significant step toward revitalization. On August 9, the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, local leaders and residents gathered to break ground on the new $8.5 million Urban League Plaza shopping center at 9946 W. Florissant Ave. in Dellwood, MO.

The 2014 protests following Brown’s death impacted over 250 businesses along the West Florissant Ave. commercial corridor, with many looted, damaged, or destroyed. The Urban League Plaza project, rising from vacant lots where businesses once stood, symbolizes the community’s resilience and ongoing efforts to heal, grow, and rebuild.

Minority-owned KAI, a national design and build firm, was selected to design the 13,500-square-foot commercial center. The project is spearheaded by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) and St. Louis Promise Zone, a program that partners with local leaders to revitalize communities.

“As St. Louis commemorates and reflects on the 10-year anniversary of the events in Ferguson and Michael Brown’s death, we want to showcase rebirth and a continued focus on revitalization. We will bring jobs and economic opportunity to North County,” said ULSTL President and CEO Michael P. McMillan.

The plaza will feature a diverse mix of tenants, including:

• First Bank (anchor tenant)
• Sweetie Pie’s Restaurant
• Murray’s Catering
• At Home Care
• Proficient Chiropractic
• ULSTL’s Save Our Sisters program (supporting women entrepreneurs)

Additionally, the development will house a community conference center, banquet space, commercial bays, as well as incubator and co-working spaces, providing minorities with opportunities to build and grow their businesses.

This project marks ULSTL’s fourth new building in the Ferguson/Dellwood area, bringing their total investment in the region to over $50 million. KAI’s involvement extends beyond the current project; they also designed and built the $10 million Urban League Senior Living Center, which opened in May in Dellwood.

“KAI is very thankful that Mike McMillan and the Urban League staff and its board of directors continue to have faith in our services,” said KAI Founder and Chairman Michael Kennedy Sr., expressing his gratitude for the ongoing partnership. “This is a tremendous and much-need revitalization project for the community as it continues to build back better after the lessons learned on that tragic day ten years ago.”

KAI Enterprises

KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. For more than 40 years, KAI has been instrumental in transforming communities through its expertise in residential, commercial, K-12, higher education, healthcare, science and technology, aviation, mobility, sports and entertainment, government, water and community-focused projects. KAI Enterprises is comprised of four distinct business units—KAI Design, KAI Engineering, KAI Build and KAI 360 Construction Services. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.

Feature Image Courtesy of: KAI