Crown Square Receives National Trust for Historic Preservation Award
Crown Square received the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Trust/HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Learn more and watch an excellent video about the development at NTHP's website.
Crown square is located along two blocks of 14th Street between Warren Street and St. Louis Avenue in Old North St. Louis. Many of its buildings date back to the 1800s. Home to the famed Crown Candy Kitchen, the once thriving commercial center began to deteriorate in the 1970s when it was converted to a pedestrian-only mall.
As general contractor for the $35.2 million redevelopment of Crown Square, E.M. Harris Construction oversaw the rehabilitation of 27 historic buildings into 33,000 square feet of commercial/office space and 80 affordable and market rate apartments. The project also included an extensive site work package, consisting of all new utilities, new streets and sidewalks, new parking areas, fencing and landscaping.
A partnership of two non-profits, RISE (fka RHCDA) and Old North St. Louis Restoration group, financed the development using federal new markets tax credits, federal and state historic preservation tax credits, federal and state low income housing tax credits, tax exempt financing and other sources.
Crown Square also received The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association's Timmy Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation and awards from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis and the St. Louis Construction News and Review.