Site Selection: Lot 3
Concept & Team Summary:
St. Louis’s incredible historic building stock is one of the city’s most important assets, but in many parts of the city, it’s crumbling right in front of our eyes – leading to lower property values, a drop in neighborhood pride, and flight from the neighborhood. For many property owners, home improvements may be inconvenient or infeasible due to the cost of purchasing and maintaining their own collection of tools. We’d like to create a space in Old North for a tool library that allows residents, property owners and community groups to borrow tools and supplies to rehabilitate and maintain their homes, gardens and public space. The library would also include demonstration space for workshops on home maintenance as well as informational resources for homeowners and contractors doing preservation work. Some projects that can be made possible with tools, resources, and training include winterization, historic restoration, and community improvement projects like seasonal clean-up days. A tool library will be an affordable, impactful way to turn a vacant lot into an active space that benefits the community and provides residents with new opportunities to take pride in their homes and neighborhood.