DeSales Community Development

Benton Park Place is bringing new life to an underutilized site at the prominent intersection of Jefferson and Arsenal.

The transformative mixed-income senior housing development will provide 49 affordable apartments for residents ages 62 and up, creating a welcoming community where seniors can age in place.

With groundbreaking projected for late 2026, we’re excited to see this project take shape and make a lasting impact on the neighborhood.

Stay tuned for what’s ahead!

For more than 20 years, Loura Gilbert has called Tower Grove East home. As a former DeSales Community Development board member, she has also seen firsthand the lasting impact DeSales can have on a neighborhood.

“A few years back, an absentee landlord was repeatedly exploiting a house across the street from mine. The landlord was evicting people under unfair arrangements, even stripping the home of its historic features. I knew this situation was negatively impacting the neighborhood.

I called DeSales and said, ‘Is there anything we can do here to stop this from happening? Because it’s not morally right. Even if it’s legal, it’s not right.’

DeSales stepped in and helped purchase that house away from the absentee landlord, put it on the market, and attracted a young couple who wanted to work on the house. It really impressed a bunch of our neighbors that there was actually somebody out there who could do that. DeSales turned it back into a nice house, as it still is today.”

— Loura Gilbert

Did you know DeSales has been restoring St. Louis neighborhoods for decades?

In 1979, Cherry Diamond featured DeSales and our work restoring homes throughout the city. That early work helped lay the foundation for the community development efforts we continue today.

Explore our lastest Impact Report to learn more about our history: https://f.mtr.cool/xcevaqzhlj

From a former grocery store site to a neighborhood gathering place. 💙

In 2001, DeSales purchased the former Super Tru-Buy property for $90,000 and donated it to the City of St. Louis, helping expand Fox Park through a community-led planning effort.

Today, Fox Park continues to bring neighbors together for concerts, festivals, sports, and community gatherings.

Discover more of our story in DeSales' 50th Anniversary Impact Report: https://f.mtr.cool/4oxwjt0k1e

Good food, good company + a great community! 🫶

Last Thursday, we gathered for our community picnic and enjoyed an evening of connection, conversation + fun with neighbors and friends.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening so special!

Thank you to CityScene STL for highlighting the work underway at Virginia Plaza! This project is transforming a long-vacant site into a mixed-use development designed to bring new life and opportunity to the Dutchtown and Carondelet neighborhoods.

Read the full article here: https://f.mtr.cool/dblveh5r63

Join DeSales Community Development, Fox Grove Management, neighbors, and friends for an evening of fun at Fox Park! Bring the whole family and enjoy time together with the community. 🤍

📅 Tuesday, September 3
🕠 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Fox Park

We hope to see you there!

Questions? Contact Mariah at [email protected] or (314) 267-0433.