ST. LOUIS — Nonprofit New Life Evangelistic Center, led by the reverend and media personality Larry Rice, in coming weeks will submit to the city of St. Louis plans aimed at reopening its controversial downtown center for the homeless.
A return of the facility, the subject of legal battles for years and shut down by former Mayor Francis Slay's administration in 2017, would spark debate. Two hotel redevelopments — 21c and Home2 Suites/Tru — are planned nearby and another opened in 2019.
Rice, though, said downtown's problems have worsened since closure of the shelter, 1411 Locust St., which occurred, in part, due to violations cited by the city of St. Louis' Building Division.
"Things have gotten so chaotic and bad on Washington (Avenue)," Rice said. "There were never barricades and shooting into buildings when we were open. It's totally inexcusable for those that are bigoted against the homeless to blame them for problems in downtown St. Louis."
Rice said New Life in the next couple of weeks would submit architectural plans to the city aimed at correcting the Building Division citations. New Life has submitted prior versions of those plans, and the city in 2018 said it would allow New Life to reopen as a "church, office, retail & inside storage," but reversed course after a challenge from property owners, a lawyer involved in the process said.
The new plan is to open New Life during the day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Rice said, adding that it would provide a "wide variety of services." It previously operated as an overnight shelter. Officials did not share when the facility could reopen.
Rice said the new city administration could be more supportive of his plans.
"The indication has been to encourage us to move ahead, to go through the proper channels and submit our plans," Rice said of Mayor Tishaura Jones' office.
A Jones spokesman, Nick Desideri, said, "In our conversations with Rev. Rice, we've made it very clear that in order to move forward, it's important his architects work with the Building Division. This includes submitting drawings to be reviewed and approved. Once approved, he would need to secure permits and complete all changes prior to being issued an occupancy permit."
A long-time Rice foe, developer Brad Waldrop, said allowing his return to downtown would be a mistake.
"We don't need an operator downtown that is perpetuating someone's homelessness," Waldrop said, citing 2013 testimony before a city panel that New Life employs no social workers. "We need operators that are not just concentrated in downtown that intake, assess, and rapidly rehouse."
Now based in Overland, New Life, which also operates TV substation KNLC (Channel 24.2), said its assets totaled $1.7 million as of Dec. 31, down from $40 million to $50 million in 2004, when media properties were worth more, Rice has said.
Rice opponents have long cited police calls to the Locust property, and also complained that his model forced homeless people back out onto the streets in the morning.
Rice has responded that social workers have volunteered at New Life, and that the shelter was emptied in the morning because "we want them to get out and look for work" and use other St. Louis programs aimed at helping the homeless.
The new debate around New Life comes as a homeless encampment near Square's new headquarters was removed, but also as downtown struggles amid the pandemic.
Assaults, robberies and burglaries in the neighborhood are up, and commentary around business complaints has increased. One effort to combat the issue emerged Tuesday, when Jones announced the formation of a new public-private task force that will meet weekly to improve downtown safety. She also announced a step-up in temporary enforcement measures.
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Rice, meanwhile, said if the architectural plans are approved, New Life will "try to meet initial needs to get in the facility." He's said previously that work could include demolition and carpentry.
The nonprofit, he said, will look to raise $1 million for the whole effort.
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