ST. LOUIS — A woman working to convert a St. Louis nuisance property into a domestic violence shelter is asking the community for help after the building was damaged in a fire Tuesday evening.
Monique Buchanan closed on the purchase of the former Grand Motel at 2534 N. Grand Blvd. at the end of December.
Before Tuesday's fire, she was working to turn the property into the Eagle's Nest Domestic Violence Center for survivors of domestic violence like her mother.
"The fire has really caused us to have a financial hardship, even though we had insurance. We were hoping to open the center as soon as possible," Buchanan said.
The center would offer women a safe, fully furnished place to live, mental and physical health services, and jobs.
Buchanan said she's modeling her center after another successful nonprofit living complex, Doorways, which helps people living with HIV and AIDS.
“It's amazing what a home can do,” said Opal Jones, the president and CEO of Doorways. “There needs to be more (similar centers) because what we have is just a drop in the bucket. ... And then when you start complicating matters with disease, with domestic violence and all of these other traumas that people experience, it's just a tough time to survive."
But Buchanan suffered a setback when St. Louis firefighters responded to a fire at the former motel.
"The fire destroyed the roof of the main building, so that really set us back and caused significant delays," she said.
Buchanan said the fire was caused by an electrical issue and damaged six units.
"We're hoping the community answers our call for help. We're most in need of a replacement roof and sprinkler system," she said.
Over the past few years, St. Louis police were called out to the Grand Motel more than a hundred times for various issues.
A private security company was hired to watch the property, Buchanan said, adding the cost for an officer is $30 an hour. She is working with the city to get the public nuisance order lifted.
Buchanan said even after everything that's happened, she's "truly thankful."
For more information about donating, visit theendviolencecenter.com or call 314-226-4164.