Kinloch Clean Up, Build Up

A Community United for Renewal

The heart of Kinloch beat strong this past weekend as community members, volunteers, businesses and civic leaders came together for Kinloch Clean Up, Build Up, a large-scale revitalization effort dedicated to restoring Missouri’s oldest incorporated African American community.

Hosted by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), Regional Business Council (RBC), Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the City of Kinloch, the event spanned two days, Thursday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 8, bringing hundreds of hands to the city.

This initiative builds on progress made earlier this year when the Block Builders event cleared brush and tackled widespread illegal dumping. The latest cleanup marked the next major step in the ongoing mission to restore Kinloch’s vitality.

“The cleanup events in Kinloch show what a difference we can make when we work together,” said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. “It was great to see so many community partners coming together this week to continue our work in this historic community and our ongoing commitment to invest in North St. Louis County.”

Between both cleanup efforts, hundreds of tons of debris have already been removed from Kinloch, with more work planned for the months ahead. On Saturday alone, volunteers disposed of more than 700 tires. Adding a splash of color and creativity, children of volunteers helped paint concrete barriers and posts with uplifting messages of unity and togetherness.

“Today, we have once again seen a strong coalition of community members, organizations and businesses come together to make real progress on cleaning up the illegal dumping that Kinloch has unfairly suffered from for years,” said St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer. “Seeing this many people step up to help shows once again what our region is made of, and I’m incredibly grateful and proud.”

The event kicked off at Kinloch Community Park on Martin Luther King Blvd., where local leaders addressed the crowd and celebrated the progress made. Speakers included St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, County Executive Sam Page, Kinloch Mayor Evelyn Carter, State Senator Brian Williams, State Representative Raychel Proudie, St. Louis County Council Chair Rita Heard Days, STL Partnership CEO Rodney Crim, Urban League President Michael McMillan and RBC Senior Manager Alandon Pitts.

“It was heartwarming to see so many people come out to help our city today, and we want to thank everyone who has taken part in this initiative this year,” said Mayor Evelyn Carter. “We know this is only the beginning of better times for Kinloch.”

The cleanup effort was powered by an impressive coalition of local companies and organizations, including Cass Information Systems, Pepsi, Boeing, Fred Weber Inc., Spire, St. Louis Blues, Busey Bank, AT&T, Ameren Missouri, American Red Cross, Missouri American Water, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Schnucks, Commerce Bank, Anthem, Clayco, Keeley Companies, Paric, SM Wilson and many more.

“Transforming communities is what economic development is all about,” said Rodney Crim, CEO and President of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. “Kinloch was once a thriving community where businesses and people wanted to reside. We look forward to attracting new businesses and jobs there and offering a better quality of life for the city’s residents.”

With three major cleanup phases complete, the work in Kinloch is far from over, but the spirit of renewal is stronger than ever. The message from Kinloch is clear: the community cares, the region stands behind it and the future is bright.

For photos from the event, click here.