Tower Grove Community Development Corporation: Building Neighborhood Stability from Within.

By Michelle Kim, Washington University Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement 2025 St. Louis Fellow

Founded on the belief that creating stable, affordable, and thriving neighborhoods takes more than housing development, Tower Grove Community Development Corporation (TGCDC), demonstrates what is possible when residents work together to strengthen their community from within. 

Established in 2013, TGCDC is the result of a consolidation of the former Grand Oak Hill Community Corporation, Southwest Garden Housing Corporation, and Shaw Neighborhood Housing Corporation  – three organizations that served Tower Grove South, Southwest Garden, and Shaw neighborhoods for over 30 years. Today, TGCDC builds on that legacy with a clear mission: strengthen neighborhoods by helping residents stay housed, bring vacant properties back to life, and grow local leadership for the future. 

Through its close partnership with the City of St. Louis - Community Development Administration (CDA), TGCDC tackles these community challenges on multiple fronts. 

Neighbors First: A Community Rooted Approach
According to staff, what sets TGCDC apart is how deeply its team is embedded in the Tower Grove neighborhoods. Staff and board members are residents, renters, landlords, and advocates themselves. They know firsthand what it means to be responsible stewards of their community because they live it every day. 

Rather than bringing in outside investors with short-term plans, TGCDC focuses on building capacity from within. Programs train and support local developers and landlords how to invest wisely to stay for the long haul, an approach that supports residents - renters and new homebuyers.

“Our tenants are our neighbors. Our work is a personal investment in our community. “ said Dana Gray, TGCDC Community Development Outreach Coordinator. 

Gray said TGCDC focuses on steady, thoughtful efforts that help residents remain in their homes, keep properties cared for, and ensure growth benefits current and future neighbors alike. 

TGCDC’s work focuses on three interlocking needs that are essential for long-term neighborhood stability: housing stability, vacant property revitalization, and local capacity growth. Funding from CDA has helped TGCDC’s ideas come to fruition, acting as a launchpad for programs that address both the immediate and long-term needs of residents. 

Supporting Housing Stability 
Keeping families housed is central to TGCDC’s neighborhood stability focus. When the 2020 pandemic created sudden housing insecurity, the CDA provided critical startup funding for ARCH by HomeScreen: At-risk Renters' Connection to Housing, enabling TGCDC to quickly address community needs.

ARCH by HomeScreen does what traditional housing markets often do not - giving a fair chance to renters who may not pass a typical housing screening. A partnership with social service agencies, ARCH by HomeScreen helps at-risk renters find and secure housing by matching program participants with landlords willing to see them as more than a credit score or a previous eviction. Since 2024, ARCH by HomeScreen has housed 150 people with 300 participating landlords, boasting an 85% success rate.

“When residents are able to stay securely housed, the entire neighborhood thrives.“ said Sean Spencer, TGCDC Executive Director. “CDA’s early support was crucial, giving us the foundation we needed to build a program that lasts.”  

Revitalizing Vacant Properties
Alongside the affordable housing database, ARCH by HomeScreen, TGCDC is also moving towards long-term housing development to shape the neighborhood's future.  

With development subsidies from the CDA, TGCDC has transformed once vacant properties into new affordable, community-rooted housing. 

Currently, two major projects, both on Morgan Ford Road in Bevo and Tower Grove South, show how community backing and public funding can turn neglected spaces into neighborhood assets. Each project demonstrates a different approach to meeting local housing needs while building trust and momentum for future development.  TGCDC and the CDA are working together to make them happen. 

Rendering of new in-fill homes at 3506 Morgan Ford Road in Tower Grove South. 

3506 Morgan Ford Road prior to new in-fill home construction. 

The Morgan Ford Project is a prime example. The site was once a gas station – owned by the City’s Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) – and required extensive environmental clean up. After the Missouri Department of Natural Resources gave the green light, TGCDC secured grants to move redevelopment forward, including $785,000 from a CDA. The project is transforming the former gas station into new affordable housing, adding vitality to a key stretch of Morgan Ford Road. Thanks to open communication and neighborhood engagement, neighbors are excited about the project.

Tower Grove CDC and Lutheran Senior Services are building Crossroads, a new mixed-income senior housing community in Bevo.

Down the street at the intersection of Morgan Ford and Gravois roads in the heart of the Bevo neighborhood, the Crossroads project is an upcoming development focused on senior housing. Construction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026, with resident waitlists opening about six months prior to move in. This new community will provide safe, quality housing for older adults in South City, allowing long-time residents to remain in the neighborhood as they age. 

Growing Local Capacity 
Looking to the future, TGCDC’s priority is growing local capacity – cultivating a new generation of community developers, landlords, and leaders who are personally invested in the stability of their neighborhood. 

One way that TGCDC is turning this dedication into real results is through its free landlord and rehabber training series. Originally launched with funding from CDA and now operating independently, the series offers practical lunch seminars for veteran developers, first-time beginners, and even those who are simply curious. Topics in 2025 include: Real Estate Investing 101, financing real estate projects, buying from the City’s LRA and tax sale auction, historic preservation tax credits, conflict resolution strategies for landlords, and real estate insurance best practices. TGCDC is working to ensure that new developers not only understand how to build, but why it matters – because the way they work impacts the future of Tower Grove neighborhoods. 

“We want to help people right here in our community become the builders of their own future – not just recipients of it.” said Jason Kempf, TGCDC Board President. 

The relationship between CDA and TGCDC is a model for how public investment and grassroots leadership can work hand-in-hand, Spencer said. The funding and guidance provided by CDA has not just led to new housing – it has helped support the infrastructure of care and accountability that makes these houses into homes. 

As TGCDC continues to grow its work and deepen its roots, one thing is clear according to TGCDC: when you build with trust, invest in people, and stay in the neighborhood, you are not just developing properties – you are building a stronger, more stable community. 

About the Community Development Administration (CDA): The CDA serves as the City of St. Louis' hub for federal, state, and local funds, implementing the Mayor's economic justice agenda. By funding public and nonprofit entities, the CDA supports a wide range of initiatives, including public services, affordable housing development, blight eradication, and other community development activities.