St. Louis City police substation left abandoned, vandalized in downtown crime hotspot
A St Louis City Police substation remains abandoned and vandalized in the heart of Downtown.
By Melanie Johnson
Click here for updates on this story
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — A St Louis City Police substation remains abandoned and vandalized in the heart of Downtown.
The former officer hub sits empty near 6th and Olive Street near Kiener Plaza, where officers have been repeatedly called to combat the area’s violence.
“We are actually right around the corner. A few blocks from here,” says business owner, Juwan Rice.
Rice is a 21-year-old North City native who wants to reinvest in his hometown. In July, he will open his first restaurant on Locust called, Rated Test Kitchen.
The location is down the street from the deserted substation that is surrounded by a chain-linked fence, plywood covered in graffiti, garbage and broken glass.
“I am a little bit shocked but one thing we are working on is our community redevelopers and we’re working with a lot of politicians to make sure safety is the top priority,” says Rice.
Investors like him hope the former hub for officers will make a comeback and revive the block.
“I wanted to bring something unique to downtown to not push people away but to bring people closer to downtown,” he says. “We’re offering seven courses for our dining series. We’re inviting the guests in to rate the food as if they are a food critic.”
St. Louis City Police tell News 4 the substation has not been used in several years and they’re unsure why it closed.
According to a spokesperson, these substations are usually privately owned under a 4-year agreement.
Since January, officers have responded to that area 37 times for disturbances, building checks, burglaries, and reckless driving.
“One thing that I don’t do as a young entrepreneur is stray away from problems. I’m a problem solver and so I want to be a light at the end of the tunnel for those young adults that may not have a place to go,” says Rice. “St. Louis has so many things that are happening in 10 years from now that people are not aware of. We want to make were there to be a part of those redevelopments.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
