At the beginning of 2022, we sold 2528 Texas Ave in Fox Park to Blackline Construction to develop 79 new apartments. We collaborated with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up over 10,000 gallons of hazardous liquids from a nearby abandoned bumper-plating facility. In the midst of all this, Executive Director, Tom Pickel, announced he would be retiring after 35 years, and the Board of Directors appointed Assistant Director, Becky Reinhart, as his successor.
While these big moves were taking place, Fox Grove Management oversaw the upkeep and operations of over 1,300 units of affordable housing throughout St. Louis. Our staff was prepared to support residents when five buildings under our management were flooded in July. DeSales invested over $400,000 in major repairs to some of our longest-held buildings in Fox Park and Tower Grove East. Through our SouthSide Rec program, kids truly hit the fields for the first time since 2020, with over 300 children participating in free and low-cost sports leagues in their neighborhood. And, throughout the year, property managers and the Community Services Coordination team assisted rental residents in accessing $2 million in rental assistance. Through these efforts, DeSales and Fox Grove staff were able to maintain stability for our community in a year that was anything but stable or predictable.
