ST. LOUIS – After a St. Louis motel was forced to shut down due to being a nuisance for decades, the property has a new owner with big plans.
Just last month, the city ordered the motel to close until it addressed “all code violations and met all standards.”
New owner Monique Buchanan says things are about to change.
She plans on turning the motel into the Eagles Nest Domestic Violence Center, complete with 24-hour security.
“My mother had four children at the age of 20. My biological father was a heroin addict, so I’m dedicated to helping people,” she said. “As a child, I needed mentors. People need a safe place to live. I’m passionate about helping others.”
Buchanan is determined to provide a safe, single-room facility. She will model her plan similarly to Doorways, a St. Louis nonprofit that has provided housing to people with HIV for decades
She says the building will function as transition housing and a safe haven for people with HIV and AIDS, chronic illness, and victims of domestic violence.
But due to the previous ownership, the property became a nuisance for the community. Buchanan has run into a road block and will have to wait 12 months to reopen due to ordinances on the books.
She hopes city leaders can make accommodations.
“The previous facility was a motel, and the state put stipulations where we can’t open for 12 months,” Buchanan said. “But I purchased the property, so I’m trying to get those stipulations off. We have a different type of facility.”
