By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – St. Louis community leaders Thursday broke ground on a $3 million housing development in Old North St. Louis.
Officials say it's the first new single-family housing in a part of the neighborhood that hasn't seen new development in decades.
Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury says the revitalization of neighborhoods like Soulard and Lafayette Park show what can happen in Old North St. Louis.
"This neighborhood is on the beginning of greatness. And what's more important than the buildings you're going to build, and the streets you're going to pave, and all the block grant money you're going to bring in, is your heart, your soul, and your spirit that are here today," Shrewsbury said.
At a vacant lot at 14th and North Market Streets, Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin broke a bottle of champagne over construction equipment.
She says drawing more homeowners to the neighborhood is essential for its future.
"In the past we've had a large concentration of just rental properties and of low-income families. So this starts us on trying to get people of different incomes so that we can start to sustain the community," Ford Griffin said.
The new homes will range in price from $140,000 to $200,000, and the city is offering 10-year tax abatements to buyers.