Special-Needs Housing Project Receives Landmarks Award

St. Louis, Mo. – Places for People's (PfP) is proud to receive the 2012 Landmarks Association of St. Louis Most Enhanced Award for its special-needs housing project, Places at Page.

The award was presented at a ceremony on Thursday, May 24, 2012, at the World Chess Hall of Fame and recognized the remarkable transformation of the former Blind Girls' Home into Places at Page (5235 Page Boulevard).

“We are honored that the important, and challenging work, of renovating Places at Page has earned this impressive award,” said Joe Yancey, PfP Executive Director. “We are grateful to all of our partners who helped to design, develop, fund, and construct this supported housing project that will serve people with great needs but also great potential.”

Landmarks Association of St. Louis annually honors 11 outstanding rehabilitation projects that restore important historic structures and benefit the economy.

When PfP acquired the building in 2008, it was mostly abandoned, in severe disrepair, and a known locale of illicit activity. However, PfP's leadership, teaming up with ND Consulting, Jeff Brambila, AIA, Architects and Planners of St. Louis, and HBD Construction, recognized its potential to address a critical need for supported housing for people with serious mental illness. Opening in late 2011, Places at Page offers 23 residential units with ample community space, as well as office and meeting space for on-site staff.

Significant renovations included complete interior demolition and renovation, replacement of all major systems, roof and exterior work, installation of an elevator, landscaping, and enhancements to promote accessibility. The 23 apartments include four two-bedroom, 10 one-bedroom, and nine efficiency units.

The building was originally designed by local architect J. Hal Lynch and constructed in 1908 as the Blind Girls’ Home. The Blind Girls Home, now known The Mary Culver Home for the Visually Impaired, moved to its present location in Kirkwood in 1966, and the building at 5235 Page Boulevard was converted to several uses over the next 42 years. In 1984, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its unique architectural features.

Places at Page offers a unique supported housing model, balancing residents' desire for independence and privacy with the assurance and assistance offered by 24/7, on-site community support and overnight staff. Residents include a mix of people who were formerly homeless, people who were living in more restrictive institutional settings than necessary, and young adults who are living on their own for the first time.

“As service providers,” said Yancey, “we know how important the right type of housing is on the path to recovery from serious mental illness—and Places at Page offers an important and traditionally undeserved housing alternative. What we may forget is that this project also restored to its former beauty a building that has a rich history of service and deservedly has been recognized as a St. Louis landmark.”

ABOUT PLACES FOR PEOPLE - Founded in 1972, Places for People is a private, non-profit agency that provides innovative and effective mental health services to nearly 4,000 people annually. Places for People has expertise in serving people with multiple disorders (mental health, physical, substance abuse, trauma) and conducts extensive outreach efforts to serve people who would not seek services due to the severity of their illnesses. In 2011, Places for People merged with Community Alternatives to expand the array of recovery-focused programs and services we can offer to parents of at-risk children, young adults, people with serious mental illness, and refugees who are survivors of state-sanctioned torture. Places at Page opened in November 2011 and was fully occupied by February 2012. The $5.7 million project was funded by a combination of federal and state historic tax credits, low-income housing tax credits awarded by the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), and private donations.

ABOUT LANDMARKS ASSOCIATION OF ST. LOUIS - Organized in 1958 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1959, Landmarks is the primary advocate for the region's built environment. In the early 1970s, Landmarks embarked on an ambitious citywide survey to identify important sites and potential historic districts. Each May Landmarks presents a ceremony honoring St. Louis' 11 Most Enhanced Sites. Inaugurated in 1996, the list runs the gamut from those privately financed to those requiring every possible public resource.