By the Scene staff
Forest Park students, faculty and staff had mixed feelings about the demolition of A and B towers last year, with some viewing it as a loss of architectural history.
The campus’s midcentury-modern buildings had been constructed in the 1960s after being designed by a renowned architect.
Starting in November, the St. Louis Community College Foundation began offering bricks for sale as keepsakes. Some have commemorative metal plates with the words, “St. Louis Community College Forest Park, 1967 to 2020.”
“You can own a piece of history!” the STLCC marketing and communications department advertised.
The foundation started with 300 bricks. Prices range from $53 for a plain brick to $153 for a brick with a commemorative plate to $253 for a brick with a plate and engraved paver for the 60th anniversary celebration.
Kamille Pope, donor relations and major gifts coordinator for the foundation, said about 10% of the bricks have been sold. “It’s been a little slow due to the pandemic. People haven’t really been on campus.”
Money raised from the brick project is going into the “Forest Park Enhancement Fund.”
“That is just simply a fund to enhance the campus,” Pope said, noting Forest Park administrators will make final decisions. They’ve discussed needs such as landscaping and outdoor seating.
STLCC built a new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences at Forest Park in 2019. After it opened, A and B towers were demolished to provide greenspace around the center and allow for construction of a new campus entrance.
For more information on the commemorative brick project, visit the website at bit.ly/3baEB2S or call 314-539-5216.