In 2022, the Grand Motel was shut down by the City of St. Louis for being a nuisance property. For years the motel was a hotbed of crime that hosted prostitution and drug dealing, and first responders were routinely dispatched to address opioid overdoses.
Now, the property once known for raucous and seedy activity is undergoing a physical and narrative renovation.
Realtor Monique Buchanan is the new owner of the Grand Motel in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood in St. Louis. Where other developers might see an opportunity to level and start anew, Buchanan told St. Louis on the Air that she was compelled to breathe new life into the property after a tour with former Alderman Brandon Bosley.
“[Bosley] asked me: ‘Is there something you could do here? We don't want all this prostitution. We don't want all of this fentanyl, this heroin, this cocaine,’” Buchanan recalled of her conversation with the former alderman, who added that, “‘We want a community like the Central West End, where you can walk down the street [and] you're not afraid. We want to have ice cream shops, we want to live like productive citizens.’”
Buchanan sees the former Grand Motel — which will be known as the Eagle’s Nest Domestic Violence Center — as a place to address inaccessible resources for people facing homelessness while escaping violent home environments. It’s an option she wishes she had as a child.
“As a little kid, I was scared all day. I walked around like I was tough, but on the inside I was broken,” Buchanan said. “I pray that everyone that walks through the doors of the Eagle's Nest Domestic Violence Center walks out a healthy adult. It took me and my sister years to recover from the things that we endured. We want to help save lives.”
To learn more about Monique Buchanan, the progress made on the grounds of the former Grand Motel, and the roadblocks due to past nuisance complaints, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
