Urban League Outlines Multi-million Dollar Rebuild Plans for Tornado-Damaged Site

16 months after a devastating EF3 tornado tore through North St. Louis, transforming a staple neighborhood retail plaza into a mound of rubble, new plans are emerging to turn the cleared dirt lot into a multi-million dollar community anchor.

The tornado destroyed the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis's (St, Louis, MO) strip plaza on Page Boulevard, forcing a complete demolition of the unrenovatable structure. On Monday, the property sits entirely vacant. Across the street, scaffolding remains visible on the organization's 98-year-old headquarters as workers continue finishing the final phases of storm repair.

As recovery continues, leadership is looking forward, laying out an ambitious roadmap to revive the corridor with retail, senior housing, and new single-family homes.

Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillian says the organization is finalizing insurance negotiations over the next few months to pave the way for a new retail center.

"Now we will rebuild with a whole new $10 million facility that'll be about 42 to 45,000 square feet of retail where we're trying to bring jobs, economic opportunities, stability, and vibrance right back here to the inner city," McMillian said.

Beyond replacing the lost commercial space, the organization is capitalizing on the footprint of the property's surrounding land. The Urban League has submitted an application to develop a $20 million senior living facility on the parcel. Designed with non-traditional features, the proposal includes a rooftop courtyard offering views of the downtown skyline and the Gateway Arch.

Recruiting higher-end retail tenants back to the inner-city corridor remains a challenge, McMillian acknowledged, but negotiations are underway to secure a strong mix of businesses.

Full build-out of the retail plaza and senior facility is targeted for 2028, with concurrent construction planned to start in 2027.

In tandem with the main campus redevelopment, the Urban League is pushing outward into the surrounding neighborhood. The organization has raised $800,000 in commitments for a pilot program to construct 10 new single-family homes on vacant, city-owned Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) lots along Page Boulevard.

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