51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� A church in the Fountain Park neighborhood announced plans on Wednesday to demolish the more than 80-year-old structure and rebuild a church-and-social-services campus on the same site, almost two weeks after an EF-3 tornado collapsed the steeple, killing one woman and trapping three others inside.

The reconstruction efforts of Centennial Christian Church, at 4950 Fountain Avenue, include a multipurpose worship and gathering space, commercial and coworking spaces for local entrepreneurs, a health clinic, affordable housing and green spaces.

The Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker said the church鈥檚 existing foundation can no longer support a structure above it.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 rebuild it. It would cost millions of dollars to rebuild it. We can do something better,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to just build a church, that鈥檚 not helpful anymore. It needs to be something that is helpful to the community.鈥�

The demolition and reconstruction will take at least four years, she said. Insurance would cover a portion of the reconstruction costs, but the church will have to raise the majority.

Three regional and national religious organizations with ties to Centennial 鈥� the National Benevolent Association, Disciples of Christ Pension Fund and National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 鈥� will each donate $10,000 to the church鈥檚 recovery. Centennial is part of the Disciples of Christ denomination.

Metropolitan Congregations United, a group of area churches, pledged to raise $100,000 for Centennial and neighborhood residents.

鈥淲hat took a storm mere minutes to tear down, will take a generation to rebuild,鈥� Rev. David Woodard, associate regional minister for the Christian Church of Mid-America, said Wednesday at a press conference.

Centennial also created a GoFundMe that has raised a little over $20,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Melisa Sanders, an architect at local design firm Blackarc, helped develop and design the rendering unveiled at the press conference Wednesday. She said the first step of the project involves gauging the community鈥檚 needs based on conversations with residents.

鈥淭his is a church, so they have already built-in a community that鈥檚 interested in what the design is going to be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see that taking very long.鈥�

But Sanders said the demolition of the church will take weeks or months, and constructing the church alone could take at least a year or more. The other parts of the plan would add to the construction time, not including the cost and difficulty of shipping materials for the project.

Shameem Clark Hubbard, alderwoman of the 10th ward, said she is committed to finding city funds to beautify the eight neighborhoods she serves, all of which suffered damage from the tornado.

But Centennial, she said, has a special place in her eyes, as the first place she kicked off her campaign in 2023.

鈥淐entennial has been more than a church, it鈥檚 been a second home, a safe haven and a source of hope for generations, as I鈥檝e seen it with my own eyes,鈥� she said.

Wise Baker said the new campus reflects the church鈥檚 mission 鈥渢o serve the vulnerable and love without condition.鈥�

The church has served the area for over 100 years 鈥� decades before moving into its current building. It provides housing for the elderly, resources for those who lack access to healthcare, and a preschool.

鈥淭oday is about more than brick-and-mortar,鈥� Wise Baker said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about ministry. It鈥檚 about the community. It鈥檚 about our deep commitment to the people of Fountain Park and north 51黑料.鈥�