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API receives significant Neighborhood Transformation Grant awards

Sep 10, 2023 | STLAPI Updates

We have received three Neighborhood Transformation Grant awards from the City of St. Louis – Community Development Administration (CDA). Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), over the next three years we will build the following:

  • Three more homes! Our goal is to build at least 18 homes for low to moderate-income artists in Gravois Park, and this ensures our next three developments are fully subsidized.
  • An artist residency! We will create an artist residency which will be housed in an accessory dwelling unit adjacent to one of API’s rehabs. The residency will focus on both local and international talent, producing both personal works and public projects in Gravois Park alongside residents and neighbors.
  • More capacity to complete our mission! The grant will cover a portion of our two-full time staff’s salaries and some consultant time, which will enable us to work with residents to create a community land trust that will steward and preserve public arts infrastructure and green spaces created over time.

The grant will also help us pave the way for future projects by funding:

  • Site clearance. Grant funding will cover costs to maintain and clear remaining API parcels and prep them for construction.
  • A conceptual plan. We will gather residents to coalesce ideas around the green space and public arts infrastructure that should be built, as well as  form-based design guidelines for home construction. 

Thanks to the St. Louis Community Development Administration for making this opportunity possible. It was a highly competitive application so we want to give special thanks to our partners Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, Dutchtown South Community Corporation, St. Louis Volunteer Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, Alderwomen Cara Spencer and Alisha Sonnier, and Alderman Shane Cohan who have been such great supporters of API’s work in Gravois Park. API also thanks Gateway CDFI for providing construction financing and Sterling Bank for providing mortgage financing.

Find out more about the City’s Neighborhood Transformation Grant Housing awards here.