On a stretch of West Florissant Avenue that had gotten used to dark windows and empty parking lots, a former Schnucks strip mall is back in the game. The once-vacant plaza in Dellwood has been reborn as R&R Marketplace, a roughly $20 million, 90,000-square-foot community hub driven by pastors Ken and Beverly Jenkins.
The first phase quietly swung open in fall 2023 after years of planning and fundraising. Where residents once had little more than vacancies and fringe lenders, there is now child care, job training and health services under one roof. Organizers pitched the project as a $20 million, 90,000-square-foot economic hub meant to restore basic services close to home and help people move up, not just get by. As reported by St. Louis Public Radio, the Marketplace is designed to knit together services that help residents find work, build savings and get treatment without leaving North County.
Pulling it off took a complicated financing puzzle. A $13 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation helped close the deal and bring in partners, according to Smith NMTC Associates. Project leaders say that tax-credit equity, mission-focused lenders and donor support all had to line up to make the phased redevelopment possible.
What’s Inside the Marketplace
Instead of a half-empty parking lot, the site now houses a mix of tenants and programs aimed squarely at everyday needs. Inside R&R Marketplace are Employ St. Louis, the North County Innovation Center co-working space, Brilliant Angels Academy early learning, a Midwest BankCentre branch and Cathy’s Kitchen ToGo, among others…