The first phase of the Covenant Place redevelopment, which celebrated its grand opening in June, includes 101 one-bedroom apartments and community space. The apartments are universally designed and meet Enterprise Green Communities criteria.
The first phase of the Covenant Place redevelopment, which celebrated its grand opening in June, includes 101 one-bedroom apartments and community space. The apartments are universally designed and meet Enterprise Green Communities criteria.

To help meet the need of the growing seniors population, Covenant Place on the Jewish Community Center’s Millstone Campus in St. Louis is undergoing a massive redevelopment.

The Jewish community originally developed the B’nai B’rith Covenant House in the early 1970s, which was followed by two additional buildings, as a place where seniors of all faiths could find affordable housing. But after four decades, the original buildings were in need of major repairs and no longer able to meet the needs of the elderly residents.

Covenant Place’s $84 million redevelopment is slated for three phases, which will include 355 affordable one-bedroom apartments in universally designed sustainable buildings and a senior lifestyle center that will house medical and physical therapy clinics in addition to other services and amenities. It also will preserve the existing Department of Housing and Urban Development Sec. 8 contract, which will provide $3.1 million in annual subsidies, through 2044.

“The baby boom population is aging and living longer, the demographic over age 85 is the fastest-growing population segment. The goal of this project is to provide a replicable model of best practices for supporting a community of older adults to age independently, for as long as possible,” said Joan Denison, executive director of project owner Covenant Place, in a statement.

Partners celebrated the grand opening of the first phase, the 101-unit Harry & Jeanette Weinberg building, in June. Sixty-six of the units have subsidies, with residents paying no more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. The remaining apartments will be affordable market units, with rents expected to be $755 a month.

The $21.8 million first phase is partly financed with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) and a HOME loan from the Missouri Housing Development Commission. Enterprise Community Investment and U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp. invested $8.4 million in equity from federal and state LIHTCs, respectively.

Three St. Louis companies were critical to the redevelopment. National leader McCormack Baron Salazar is the development partner for the redevelopment. S.M. Wilson & Co. is the general contractor, and KAI Design & Build served as the phase one architect. Additional project partners include St. Louis County, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Family & Children’s Service.