For years, Forest Park Southeast resident Craig Nashville has given back to his community by providing his professional expertise on the Forest Park Southeast Development Committee, which he chairs. Nashville, a project manager at Grice Groups Architects, grew up in St. Louis. After graduating from Rice University in Houston, Texas, he worked in New York City in the early ‘90s. When he moved back to St. Louis, he was impressed by the established, interesting building stock in Forest Park Southeast, and really appreciated its central location. He now calls the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood his home. Nashville loves that his commute is just a short bike ride, while his wife Teresa can easily walk to her work over at the Medical Center.
Craig Nashville stands in front of the future Chouteau Park in FPSE.
The Forest Park Southeast neighborhood looks significantly different than it did when Nashville first arrived in the 1990s. For example, the neighborhood was made up of far more renters than home owners. Over time he has witnessed a transition to more home ownership. Now, landlords in the neighborhood focus more on property maintenance than they had previously before, as well as the community as a whole. Nashville stated that when he first moved into the area absentee property owners initially were simply preoccupied with filling any vacancies. If someone moved out, they merely looked for anyone else to just move in. Over the years, Nashville has seen residents become more invested in their surroundings, increased participation and being part of the neighborhood as a whole.
Nashville takes pride in his position as chair for the Forest Park Southeast Development Committee. His position on the Development Committee affords him the ability to contribute to the growth of his own neighborhood and ensure that the positive momentum continues. “It’s critical that the neighborhood has a focus. What we’re trying to do is create a plan that makes sure that proposed development has a positive impact on the neighborhood, as opposed to being sporadic or detrimental.”
As new developments occur, Craig Nashville’s committee will ensure that the best interest of the neighborhood is represented, and that the positive momentum will continue into the future.
