Northside Youth and Senior Services Center Breaks Ground For A Stronger North St. Louis

By Aubree Herzog, Washington University Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, 2026 St. Louis Fellow

Northside Youth and Senior Services Center (NSYSSC) has served the Ville for over 50 years, and their operations have long outgrown their original building. On Thursday, June 11, 2026, NSYSSC held a groundbreaking for their new intergenerational community center. 

Community leaders shovel into dirt for official groundbreaking ceremony

Located just down the block from their current headquarters, the new building holds promise for the organization’s expansion. It aims to provide a safe space for community members of all ages to gather.

Just a few of the services provided by NSYSSC include youth summer and afterschool programs, a robust Meals on Wheels program that served 738 seniors in 2024, job training, computer and fitness classes for senior citizens, and counseling. Northside also has buses that serve residents and clients to transport them, along with a fleet of electric vehicles. 

The new space will span 16,000 square feet and house a multipurpose room, gymnasium, a commercial kitchen, a pantry and basic needs distribution facility, computer lab, an outdoor activity area, collaboration spaces, and private meeting rooms. 

Mock-Up of Northside Youth and Senior Services Center New Intergenerational Community Center

The resources for the community will be able to expand and grow in the newer and bigger space. The new Intergenerational Community Center will also serve as a community gathering space. 

In an interview with Executive Director Leon Threat, he discussed the importance of having a meeting space within the community. 

“I think it serves as a rallying point, and I think that the disasters and emergencies that I've actually worked at Northside and been through. We needed spaces where groups can come together and be able to organize,” Threat said. 

After the May 16th tornado, NSYSSC was quick to act and organize, providing almost 2,000 meals a day to residents in need. Residents lost gas, water, and electricity in their homes, and NSYSSC provided access to fresh meals. Northside showed their exemplary ability to organize and use their space for neighbors to gather and collaborate.

The new community center will also serve as an intergenerational and third space. Third spaces are places that are separate from the home and office. This new community center will serve as a place where people can gather, collaborate, and laugh. NSYSSC provides a place for people of all ages to come together and learn from each other. It fosters community across generations and eliminates barriers for seniors to find connection with their neighbors. 

Northside Youth and Senior Services Current Building at 4120 Maffitt Ave

Threat also described that the community center was even serving five generations at one time, which is an opportunity for mentorship, strengthening community pride, and tackling isolation in seniors. 

“The main goals of the community center are to support residents across the arc of life, so they can age in this community,” Threat said. 

The new community center shows the Ville’s resiliency and the NSYSSC’s efforts to truly and wholly support everyone in their community. By serving all age groups, being an accessible environment, and their commitment to providing third spaces for their community, NSYSSC is a true example of what caring for one’s community looks like.

“We break ground not just for a building. We break ground for hope. We break ground for dignity. We break ground for opportunity. We break ground for a stronger north St. Louis,” Threat emphasized the significance of the new center at its groundbreaking. 

The community center was made possible by a $305,000 ARPA-funded Neighborhood Transformation Grant award for predevelopment activities from the Community Development Administration (CDA) in 2023. The seed money, used for design and site preparation,  was used to kick-start the $5.7 million project that is now being funded through St Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), federal funds, and various donors.

CDA staff and Mayor Cara Spencer and CDA staff present NSYSSC Executive Director Leon Threat (middle with hard hat). Left to right are CDA Executive Director Matt Moak, Mayor Cara Spencer, Marnita Spight (CDA), Anita Poole (CDA), Leon Threat, Ruth Keenoy (CDA), City of St. Louis Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks, and Tom Nagel (CDA). 

About the Community Development Administration (CDA):

Established in 1974, CDA invests approximately $25 million each year in affordable housing, community development, and public services across St. Louis. As the City’s housing and community development agency, CDA works in partnership with HUD, the Planning and Urban Design Agency and the St. Louis Development Corporation to ensure that funding priorities are transparent, competitive, and community-driven.