By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The old Woolworth's Building in Grand Center is about to get a facelift. The building at Grand and Olive has sat vacant for years, but it's been slated to become the new home for the mentoring group Big Brothers - Big Sisters.
A closing on the building's sale is expected in the next couple weeks, and when that happens redevelopment can begin in earnest.
Agency president Becky James-Hatter says the new digs will make Big Brothers more visible: "You can't see us. Our kids do not wear uniforms like boy scouts and girl scouts.
"You can't come on location and see our little brothers and little sisters like you can to a boys' and girls' club. We really need to have a building that we can brand."
When work's done in about a year, the Woolworth's building will also house two small theatres and offices for an arts group called Craft Alliance.
The $13 million will make the corner even busier with construction. Right across the street, work has already started on a $32 million project to redevelop the Metropolitan Building into a hotel.