“Once you cross Delmar — I don’t know, it’s a different world,” Jeanette Jones, a St. Louis mail carrier said in an interview with The Washington Post.
As many St. Louis residents know, the Delmar Divide has been a long-standing image of division and segregation that continues to exist in the city. The Delmar Divide refers to Delmar Boulevard, which cuts the city into North and South. South of Delmar is predominantly white, and the North is mainly African American.
According to the BBC, “Delmar Boulevard, which spans the city from east to west, features million-dollar mansions directly to the south, and poverty-stricken areas to its north. What separates rich and poor is sometimes just one street block.”
The divide affects thousands of people in all aspects of their lives, including housing, education, crime and even grocery stores.
For years, people have struggled simply based on where they live in relation to the road. But Delmar DivINe is striving to change the years of precedent.
Delmar DivINe’s mission is to champion excellence in St. Louis’ social service landscape by fostering a dynamic synergy among different agencies. Through shared spaces, empowering programs and dedicated support services, Delmar DivINe energizes a collective of organizations committed to delivering impactful services to clients, customers and the community.
According to Delmar DivINe’s chief inspirator and founder of Delmar DivINe and Build-A-Bear, Maxine Clark, the organization was created in response to injustices in the community.
“In 2014, Michael Brown was killed, and lots changed for STL. We all became more aware of the inequities in many aspects of our systems,” Clark said.
The name came from the location, Delmar Boulevard, and the Delmar Divide, with the “IN” standing for investment, innovation and inclusion to change the perception of the area.
Construction began in July 2020 with a team including Clayco and CRG. The space was created in a former hospital and renovated to include housing, workspaces, food options, a fitness center for tenants, meeting spaces for the community and more. The collective has around 40 organizations that strive to help the community in many ways. The first two tenants were welcomed in August of 2021, and more continued to enter the community by the end of 2022.
Some tenants include a credit union, BHR mental health services, Bridge 2 Hope, The Charity CFO, Eye Thrive, Generate Health and Girls in the Know (GITK).
Bridge 2 Hope is an organization trying to “advocate for racial changes so our children get the high-quality education they deserve,” according to Delmar DivINe’s website. They are doing this because the education system has systematically failed black and brown people, and it is time for a disruption.
Eye Thrive provides vision services to children at schools and community centers. This includes eye exams and glasses that are made and delivered. The free service eliminates inequality and gives all children the proper eye care they deserve.
The Node is a co-working space that can be used by freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers. They can work there and access amenities, like unlimited printing and a membership to the facility’s gym, for an affordable price.
“One of my favorite and largest programs is the Wisdom Café, which is our programming for seniors in the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. It is a collaboration of many partners who work in the aging community. It is amazing and very well attended for our large meetings and smaller special focus meetings,” Clark said.
Delmar DivINe also has retail spaces on the ground floor that house local businesses that help further develop the community.
Deli Divine, a new authentic Jewish deli, was created by Ben Poremba to offer traditional Jewish deli foods to everyone in the area, not just the Jewish community. Born and raised in Israel, Poremba brings his lifelong passion for cooking to the venture, ensuring the authenticity of the food.
“His goal is to run a sustainable enterprise by providing an equitable work environment and fair and safe corporate culture to his employees, who he greatly admires,” according to his website, Bengelina Hospitality Group.
Another local retailer is GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness. The store is the first Black-owned pharmacy in St.Louis in more than 40 years, according to IFF’s photo tour on Delmar DivINe. Inside the pharmacy is an express health clinic that SSM Health runs to provide care and reduce socioeconomic and racial disparities.
Along with all the various tenants and services, there are 150 apartments for locals.
“Everyone who comes to our campus, whether tenant, visitor, neighborhood resident or collaborative partner, is valued so that when they leave us, they feel good about having interacted with us,” Jorge Riopedre said, the Executive Director of Delmar DivINe.
Given its initial success, Delmar DivINe is positioned to contribute to the community’s development. Its ongoing programs and services are aimed at promoting local growth and enhancing community well-being.
Clark sees Delmar DivINe’s value in thousands of people’s lives and continues to follow the key principles of: “diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, respect, honest feedback, fun and constant learning.”
