ST. LOUIS — A gas station near downtown St. Louis could get its license revoked if it doesn't make some changes. But some people in the community argue it's not the gas station that's the issue.
An officer told the Board of Adjustment during a meeting last week that the BP gas station at 1601 Chouteau Avenue has been a nuisance property for 10 years. The business has been the scene of several crimes, some deadly, within the last few years.
The meeting wrapped up with a request for a continuation and a chance for the owners to get things right.
5 On Your Side revisited the business today and spoke with one of the owners.
“We feel comfortable with what they said for a second chance,” he said.
They chose not to be on camera for safety reasons but said they've stopped selling certain items and removed signage and a plastic cover from the sale window. These were all requirements brought up during the meeting.
Several advocates have since weighed in, saying immigrants and minorities who own gas stations, convenience stores, and other small businesses are becoming a target for “blame.”
“Shutting down that gas station on Choteau, shutting down any number of clients that I've had that have been shut down, has not changed the crime rate in those areas one bit,” said Jay Kanzler, a local attorney.
Kanzler told 5 On Your Side he has had about 30 of these cases go in front of the board. He feels like the immigrant and minority business owners bring with them a hard work ethic that goes unnoticed.
“What they don't have is some of the knowledge of some of the rules, the regulations, they don't have the English language or some of the social skills that allow them to become integrated into the neighborhood,” he added.
Mayor Tishaura Jones has worked to bridge the gap through the Office of New Americans in the works.
"Housed in the Mayor’s Office, the Office of New Americans will be tasked with breaking down barriers that block our new neighbors from engaging with City government, accessing resources, and setting up their businesses and homes in St. Louis for generations to come," her office said in a statement.
The mayor's office said key tasks include the following:
- Connect immigrants and refugees to appropriate city departments and services
- Educate city departments and employees on the unique needs of immigrants and how to be available to serve them
- Analyze language access needs to serve immigrants and develop plans for departments to activate this
- Develop and implement policies and programs to support immigrants and refugees in the city
- Build partnerships with community organizations, government agencies, the international Institute, the St. Louis Mosaic Project, the Immigrant Service Providers Network, and business and cultural groups serving our ethnic communities. Sit as a member of the regional St. Louis Mosaic Project Steering Committee
- Build partnerships with the Board of Aldermen to connect to constituent needs
- Conduct outreach and education efforts to inform immigrants about their rights, resources and opportunities including job openings in city government
“It was just created in this fiscal year's budget, and we are still in the process of hiring for the office," said mayor's office spokesperson Nick Dunne.
Like Kanzler, Moji Sidiqi, the Afghan Community Development Program Manager with the International Institute of St. Louis, feels like the new office is an effort that is long overdue.
“Wherever you set up shop, you're adding to the economic development of that neighborhood but there's no credit for that and so that is why it's necessary that we create spaces for advocacy for the immigrant and refugee community in St. Louis,” she said.
The BP Gas station's owners are waiting to go back in front of the Board of Adjustment. They will then have to go through another round of inspections.