‘Square’ closes downtown office after violence at nearby homeless encampment
By JENNA RAE, NEWS 4 REPORTER
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ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) — Downtown St. Louis is going through a revolution. After taking many punches, people and companies are finally investing and moving into the city. Tuesday, the newest and most needed tenant, Square, is pulling back amid new public safety concerns.
News 4 learned Square had temporarily shut down its downtown office through multiple sources. News 4’s Jenna Rae went to the office on Cole Street and Tucker Boulevard to get some answers. After finding locked doors and security telling her the office was closed with no timeline of reopening, Square corporate confirmed the closure.
“It’s a bad situation, and it hasn’t gotten any better,” Dan Pistor told News 4 Tuesday
Pistor, a downtown resident and member of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, says the current homeless encampment at InterCo Plaza on Tucker Boulevard is dangerous. Unhoused people started camping out at InterCo Plaza at the end of July. Soon after that encampment was established, problems began. In early August, the City of St. Louis vowed to close it.
“It’s very intimidating, aggressive panhandlers have gotten worse, more aggressive behavior has occurred toward small businesses and residents,” Pistor continued.
Four weeks and several beatings, shootings and one murder later, the encampment is still open. On Sunday an unknown male was shot and killed at InterCo Plaza. No one has been arrested for his murder. With that killing, Square added security in and outside it’s building. The same goes for the St. Patrick’s Center, which is on the south side of InterCo Plaza.
“This is what the Board of Alderman, myself, and others warned about with these homeless tent encampments that are being left unpoliced, unmonitored, and unmanaged,” Aldermanic President Lewis Reed said.
Reed says that he and other aldermen, including Ward 5’s James Page, have been calling on Mayor Tishaura Jones for a plan. News 4 talked to Alderman Page Tuesday and he gave us the following statement.
“The Mayor’s office has not kept the aldermen up to date on comprehensive plans to address homelessness in the 5th ward.”
Three weeks ago, the Board of Alderman passed a multi-million-dollar COVID relief bill. That bill included millions of dollars worth of funding specifically meant to deal with encampments and St. Louis’ unhoused population. Reed says those funds are ready to go.
“We put everything within Board Bill 2 to allow a comprehensive plan to take place. Now, the administration has to activate that comprehensive plan,” Reed continued.
News 4 received little to no details on the closure of InterCo Plaza from Mayor Jones’ office Tuesday. We were sent the following statement.
“We are concerned for the safety of the unhoused residents around InterCo Plaza as well as the residents and businesses of the area. We want to ensure that the unhoused have a safe and humane place to stay. While we are moving towards shutting off access to the park, our unhoused residents need to get the wraparound services and housing they need to ensure their health, safety, and wellbeing.”
When News 4 asked for a specific timeline of closing down the encampment and how the mayor’s office plans to attack the issues, we weren’t given a straightforward answer. We’ve requested a one-on-one interview with Mayor Jones and will continue doing so.
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