LA/UP341 Fall 1997

East St. Louis, located in southwestern Illinois, is populated primarily by low income minority residents and is currently undergoing economic rejuvenation. This web site will explore the economic costs and benefits, the changes in visual quality, the cultural and historical implications, and the wildlife and habitat impacts associated with the renovation of an abandoned downtown commercial building.

East St. Louis Demographics 1989 to 1994

• 98.1% African American
• 55% female
• 34.6% children 0 to 17 years old
• 39.7% female-headed households
• 43.9% below poverty
• 39.5% families below poverty
• 10.9% unemployment rate
• $6,421 per capita income

Federal Grants Awarded to East St. Louis in 1994

• Health and Family Welfare $0
• Energy and Environment $10,000
• Education $324,000
• Housing and Community Development $16,465,000 (Slater, 1996)

Based on the statistics above and the lack of aid from the federal government for health and family welfare, women and children suffer disproportionately in East St. Louis. Therefore, the building in this project will be turned into a day care center and resale shop, serving primarily women's and children's needs.