a Better Bubble™
EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill is OPEN! We were thrilled to celebrate our Grand Opening with community leaders and neighbors on April 30th. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this milestone moment. We can't wait to welcome residents home!
Thanks to State Representative Steve Butz for the Evertrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill Proclamation
On April 30, 2026, the ribbon was cut on EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill — a four-story, 64-unit affordable senior housing community at 4900 Gravois Avenue in the heart of south St. Louis. The $22 million development is already changing lives. But this moment didn't arrive overnight. It is the result of nearly a decade of persistence, partnership, and community belief — much of it carried forward by the Tower Grove Community Development Corporation.
A Vision That Started in 2017Long before a single brick was laid, the seeds of Crossroads were planted in 2017. Midwest BankCentre, under the early leadership of Dale Oberkfell and supported by Orv Kimbrough and Wes Burns, identified a real need: south St. Louis was growing older, and its seniors had few quality, affordable housing options close to the neighborhoods they had called home for decades. The bank's 1.9-acre Bevo branch property at 4900 Gravois Avenue — a visible corner across from the iconic Bevo Mill — was sitting underutilized. The question became: what could it become?
Tower Grove CDC saw the answer clearly. A ready, willing, and able community development organization, TGCDC stepped forward to carry the vision from concept to reality. Without a CDC with the capacity and commitment to lead, this project simply would not have happened.
Midwest Bank Centre Building- 4914 Gravois 2017 Photo Credit to Lee Drake
Empty Lot- 4914 Gravois 2020
Evertrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill 2026
Years of Leadership Through the Hard PartsCommunity development is rarely a straight line. Between 2017 and 2020, the project navigated funding applications, design processes, neighborhood engagement, and financing structures that required patience and persistence at every turn.
In November 2020, Midwest BankCentre formally donated the Bevo branch property — valued at $1.63 million — to Tower Grove CDC, a pivotal milestone that unlocked the project's path forward. But even after that landmark gift, the work was far from over. The funding picture evolved, the development team shifted, and the project had to be re-closed not once but twice — including a crucial second closing supported by the National Equity Fund.
Through all of it, TGCDC's volunteer board never wavered. Board members showed up because they believed in something bigger than themselves, and their belief is now four stories tall on Gravois Avenue.
A particular note of gratitude is owed to Janice Drake, who served as Board President for ten years. Her leadership, persistence, and steady hand carried the project through its toughest moments. As Sean Spencer, TGCDC Executive Director, said at the grand opening: "We would not be here without her."
Current Board President Jason Kempf and the full roster of past and present board members and staff share equally in this legacy.
TGCDC Board and Staff 2023
Building the Right TeamGreat projects require great partners, and TGCDC helped assemble a team that brought both expertise and heart to Crossroads. EverTrue (Lutheran Senior Services' rebranded identity) became the co-developer and property manager, with Nikki Jennings serving as a key partner throughout the process. CEO Adam Marles and the EverTrue leadership team stepped in at a critical juncture and brought the mission-alignment this project needed.
EM Harris Construction led the build with precision and craftsmanship. Rosemann & Associates translated the vision into an award-worthy architectural design. Spellman Brady brought a warm, dignified interior design that residents are proud to call home.
And a special acknowledgment goes to Jerry Burka, whose positivity, perseverance, strategic thinking, and genuinely kind way of doing business set the tone for the entire project from start to finish.
Tower Grove CDC Executive Director Sean Spencer presents Jim Davis, EM Harris Superintendent, a historic photo of the Evertrue at Crossroads site in recognition of his work to build the project.
Rooted in the NeighborhoodTGCDC's mission has always been inseparable from the neighborhoods it serves. For Crossroads, that meant going beyond the development itself to bring the Bevo Mill community along. Better Bevo Now, the Newport Heights Neighborhood Association, and the Bevo Community Improvement District were engaged and supportive partners. So were Alderwoman Howard, Alderwoman Schweitzer, and State Representative Butz, who actively invited investment into their ward — something that, as Spencer noted, "is not always the case."
That neighborhood-first approach also shaped the project's public financing stack. Partners including the Community Development Administration (CDA), the St. Louis Comptroller's Office, SLDC, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, HUD, and MHDC all came together to make the numbers work. This is the kind of project that only happens through strong, sustained public partnership — and TGCDC spent years building and maintaining those relationships.
What 64 Homes Actually MeansThe finished building offers 64 apartments for adults 62 and older — a mix of affordable and market-rate units serving seniors across the economic spectrum. Residents have access to on-site supportive services through EverTrue, including programs designed to help older adults live independently and with dignity.
The project also creates a ripple effect across the Bevo Mill neighborhood. As Sean Spencer noted back in 2022 when the project was first announced: "As older local residents gain the option of an apartment with support services, the homes they will be selling will attract younger singles and families due to the area's tremendous stock for first-time buyers." That vision is now becoming reality.
Modern Kitchen and Living Room at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill. Safety and comfort, by design. Every bathroom at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill is fully accessible — thoughtfully built so residents can live independently with confidence and dignity. This is what quality affordable senior housing looks like.
Modern Bathroom at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill.
Cardroom at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill
Mailroom at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill
The main lobby at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill is where community begins — cozy seating, a warm fireplace, and thoughtfully designed gathering spaces make it a place residents love to be.
Eight Years, One Promise KeptFrom a conversation in 2017 to a ribbon-cutting in 2026, EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill is proof of what community development looks like at its best — slow, unglamorous, relationship-driven work that eventually produces something beautiful and lasting.
Tower Grove CDC is proud to have stood at the center of this effort. We are grateful to every partner, funder, neighbor, board member, and community leader who believed in it alongside us.
This building is your legacy, too.
View From Unit 411 at EverTrue Crossroads at Bevo Mill
Tower Grove Community Development Corporation serves the south St. Louis City neighborhoods of Southwest Garden, Shaw, Tower Grove South, and Bevo Mill, in addition to other St. Louis City neighborhoods. To learn more about our work, visit towergrovecdc.org.
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