Side Bar - Bridging the Delmar Divide

Written by Maxine Clark

Photo by Mark Katzman

The Delmar Divide is not an accident. It is the result of decades of disregard and discriminatory policies like residential segregation ordinances and housing covenants that had the effect of pushing many Black citizens into neighborhoods north of Delmar Boulevard and, over time, solidifying it as the primary racial and socioeconomic dividing line in St. Louis. It was exacerbated in the late ‘50s and ‘60s when local commerce moved to the suburbs with the advent of the modern-day mall and shopping centers. Local shops were challenged to stay alive as even their workers left for better jobs in larger stores. The sales tax revenues were no longer able to fuel community supports such as safety, schools, and parks resulting in serious deterioration. 

Fast forward to today and you can see the consequences. In comparison to the Central West End community south of Delmar Blvd., those who live in the 63112 zip code, the Historic West End, experience much higher levels of poverty, vastly larger incidences of crime, and much poorer health and education outcomes.  Moreover, it is already clear that the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis is likely to have more profound and lasting effects since the disease disproportionately affects communities of color.

And yet the area has an optimistic and activated transgenerational community, expressed through numerous neighborhood associations that are working hard to return vibrancy and stability to the area. I first met this neighborhood in 2014 when we were preparing to open KIPP Victory Elementary school in the closed former Mitchell School. The neighbors welcomed this addition for their families and other children in St. Louis. As I became more engaged with the community and attended neighborhood meetings and events, I saw that the residents value and promote open, participative development processes based on cooperation and respect. As an entrepreneur, I felt the spirit of new ideas, new prospects alive and well. This led me to the vision I saw in my head the day I passed by the former St. Luke’s Hospital - then Connect Care - as they were nailing the “for sale” sign in the ground. 

This was at Hollywood and Vine for St. Louis—halfway between the Wash U Danforth Campus and the Wash U School of Medicine as well as between the Delmar Loop and Central West End entertainment and retail areas. I knew what had been created by CORTEX and I thought the same could happen here in the Historic West End. It could in fact be DivINe—with the proper INvestment, INnovation and INclusion. 

The community of nonprofit organizations at Delmar DivINe will build on the strengths of the people who make up these neighborhoods to maximize the impact of their work. This includes agencies like Generate Health, a nonprofit that mobilizes a coalition of more than 900 individuals and organizations to undo the impact of racism and trauma on the health of Black families. Kendra Copanas, Generate Health’s executive director says that, “In order to advance health equity in our region, large-scale, community-centric reinvestment is needed in North St. Louis. Delmar DivINe will not only spur economic development; it will also serve as a hub for individuals and community-based organizations to convene and collaborate on addressing the systemic issues our region faces.”

Fortunately, Delmar DivINe is not alone. Many development projects and initiatives are underway that will help bridge the divide and lead to a better future. To name just a few: the Delmar Maker District just east of Union on Delmar, which also houses MADE, the children’s makerspace environment created by The Magic House; the development of 207 acres bordered by Kingshighway Blvd. and Delmar Blvd., with $1 million of residential construction currently underway and another $2 million set for spring 2021; the restoration of the historic Wellston Trolley Building which will include mixed-use retail and house minority-owned startup businesses to help stimulate economic activity in the community; and the Page Boulevard Redevelopment to revitalize the predominantly African-American neighborhood that spans from north of Delmar to Martin Luther King and from Skinker to Kingshighway. These are just a few but they are significant because they are adjacent to each other, will create needed jobs and desired amenities and begin the transformation linked together with a common goal of prosperity for these once exciting neighborhoods. 

The challenges and opportunities represented by North St. Louis require a regional response. As the St. Louis Development Corporation’s recently published Equitable Economic Development Framework points out, addressing the challenge of equitable urban economic growth requires the commitment and capacities of a broad set of public, private, philanthropic, university, and community stakeholders employing a range of tools to address foundational issues of place, prosperity, and people. The Delmar Divide will not disappear on its own. It will take all of us to bridge it.