Jobs training center set to be built on the property.
The site of a QuikTrip destroyed during the Ferguson riots earlier this year is finding a new purpose.
QuikTrip Corp. recently donated its former convenience store property at 9420 W. Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Mo. to the Urban League of Metropolitan St., which plans to build a new job training center on the site, according to the St. Louis American.
The QuikTrip store formerly located on the site was burned down during the riots that followed Michael Brown Jr.’s shooting death by then-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the local Urban League, told the St. Louis American they are grateful to QuikTrip Corp. for donating the site for their new $500,000 Ferguson Community Empowerment Center. They expect to break ground this spring, after the site is cleared of debris.
The facility is set to be the new location for the organization’s “Save Our Sons” workforce program. Announced in January, Save Our Sons offers job training and placement services for African Americans and other young men residing in Ferguson and surrounding North County communities.
The center also plans to provide counseling for housing, rent and utility assistance, as well as mental health services. Provident Inc. plans to provide the center’s mental health counseling for youth and adults.
Michael Johnson, a QuikTrip board director, stated at a press conference that he has been involved with the Urban League for years and wanted to do something meaningful on the location.