After 2 years of hard work, planning, and fundraising, the lots on Enright Avenue that we have been building and nurturing in the Vandeventer Neighborhood are officially property of Occupy Vacancy! Our journey to land ownership was not easy, but through perseverance, trust, and the support our partners, we have prevailed.
All lots were purchased from the Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) of St. Louis. Our relationship with the LRA started in June 2021, when we first presented our project proposal for Occupy Vacancy to the LRA Board. At that time, the LRA Board approved our proposal and we were able to lease the lots via the LRA Garden Lease Program. However, as a contingency of the lease, if an outside entity wanted to purchase an LRA lot that was being rented, they could do so and the renter would have to leave and clear the lot in 60 days. It pays to read the fine print…
Unfortunately, in November 2021, the 2 lots that we initially envisioned as sites for Occupy Vacancy were purchased by a real estate developer. This was a reality check. We had to go back to the drawing board.
Fast forward to June 2022, and we prepared another proposal to submit to the LRA Board. Instead this time, with the support of Alderman Jesse Todd (Ward 18), leadership from the St. Louis Arts Chamber of Commerce, and friends from the Luminary. Our proposal was for an “Option to Purchase” contract for a new set of lots on Enright Ave. The Option to Purchase is a contract that removes an LRA parcel from the active list and gives a potential owner site control (not ownership) for a period of 6 - 12 month. After the 6 - 12 month option period is over, the transaction must be completed to purchase the lots.
Through continued support from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, we were able to fulfill our Option to Purchase for the lots on Enright Ave. This is a huge step in solidifying our footprint towards permanence and lasting change.
