Aggregator

The post A Tool Built by Election Deniers Said These Voters Were Dead. We Found Them Alive. appeared first on ProPublica.

For more than four decades, Tower Grove Community Development Corporation (and our related entities) has worked to strengthen the neighborhoods of south St. Louis City—one block, one building, and one neighbor at a time.

Today, we are proud to share our new website, which comprehensively reflects the full depth of that work: www.towewrgrovecdc.org

We invite you to explore the site to learn more about our ongoing initiatives and community impact.

Telling Our Full Story

Tower Grove CDC was formed in 2014 when three neighborhood organizations came together with a shared belief: our communities are stronger when we plan, build, and advocate together. The new site gives that history the space it deserves. Visitors can now trace our path from those early days of consolidation through landmark projects like the Morgan Ford brownfield redevelopment and the Evertrue Crossroads mixed-income senior housing development, a partnership with Evertrue and Midwest BankCentre. Our history isn’t a footnote; it’s the foundation for everything we do next.

Our Programs, Made Clear

Our work covers a lot of ground, from affordable and market-rate housing development to vacant property abatement, tenant screening, landlord training, and neighborhood beautification. On the old site, it wasn’t always easy to find what you needed. The refreshed site organizes our programs so residents, landlords, partners, and funders can quickly understand what we offer, who it serves, and how to get involved. We are also updating our phone system and other communication tools to provide more reliable ways to support our constituents.

A Commitment to Transparency

We believe the people we serve and the partners who support us should be able to see how we work and what we accomplish. The new site makes our projects, results, and organizational information easier to find, and it will be home to our upcoming annual report. Supporting our mission is simpler too, with a streamlined path to give online.

Thank You, Sara Graham

This project would not have been possible without Sara Graham of EngageTaste, who served as our web designer and content director. Sara brought a sharp design eye and a genuine understanding of our mission, helping us shape years of history and a wide range of programs into a site that is clear, welcoming, and true to who we are. Her patience and thoughtful guidance throughout the process made a complex project feel manageable, and the result speaks for itself.

Take a Look Around

We invite you to explore the new site, learn more about our history and programs, and reach out with any questions. As always, thank you for being part of the work of building strong, stable neighborhoods in south St. Louis. Our HomeScreen and Arch By HomeScreen websites are also in the process of being refreshed. Look for those in the coming months!

www.Towergrovecdc.org

Source

Green House Venture Ribbon Cutting

Tower Grove CDC extends our warmest congratulations to Green House Venture on the ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new Education Center at 3966 DeTonty Street. Shaw neighbors got their first look inside during the Community Open House on November 1, touring the building and hearing from Green House Venture staff about how it will serve students for years to come.

The $5.8 million, 9,300-square-foot urban agriculture learning center will introduce hundreds of students in grades 4 through 8 to plant science. Students from four public, parochial, charter and Christian schools serving Shaw will study, cultivate and harvest food crops throughout the school year.

The building includes classrooms and laboratories, a greenhouse with aquaponic growing, a rooftop garden, and vertical farming. Together they give Green House Venture staff the tools to engage young people in bioscience, dietetics and urban agriculture through real discovery.

The Education Center is the final piece of Green House Venture's nearly four-acre campus at the corner of DeTonty and Lawrence streets. Learn more at greenhousestl.org.

Tower Grove CDC was glad to play a part in bringing this campus to life. We took part in the initial planning meetings that shaped the vision for the site. We also supported Green House Venture's acquisition of the Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) property that became home to the campus, helping turn a vacant parcel into a place of learning and growth.

This project extends more than 40 years of Tower Grove CDC's work in the Shaw neighborhood. Much of that work has centered on DeTonty Street, which was once the block hardest hit by vacancy in Shaw.

Today Tower Grove CDC owns 10 buildings with 34 units of affordable housing adjacent to the Green House Venture campus, including the property directly to the east. Seeing a vibrant education center rise next door to homes we have restored and maintained for decades is a powerful sign of how far DeTonty has come.

We look forward to watching Shaw's young people learn, grow and harvest just steps from their neighbors' front doors. Congratulations to the entire Green House Venture team, its partners, and the Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association on this milestone. Tower Grove CDC is proud to be your neighbor.

Alderwoman Velazquez presents a St. Louis City proclamation to The Green House Venture

Ribbon Cutting

Sean Spencer, Tower Grove CDC Executive Director, with Tom and Ginger Purcell. Tom Purcell is the founder of The Green House Venture.

Green House Venture ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new Education Center at 3966 DeTonty Street