The Fork Yard, a new community hub on Hemphill St., hits a snag with the city
A community project that is helping revitalize part of the Hemphill Street corridor has hit a regulatory snag, but the organizers hope to get back on track in early 2026.
The Fork Yard by The Morningside Project is at 2529 Hemphill St. at the corner of West Morningside Drive, in the Jennings-May St. Louis neighborhood.
The location is where a developer in 2023 unsuccessfully tried to build town homes, followed by an attempt to rezone it for a used-car lot.
After those efforts failed, neighborhood leaders met with the property owner to explore other ideas for community uses of the corner. They included Angie Blochowicz, president of the Jennings-May St. Louis Neighborhood Association, and others from the Hemphill Corridor Development Collaborative.
They spoke with residents of the corridor and at City Council meetings for input on how to use the property. The result was the creation of a community hub and “third space” in residents’ own backyards.
“We’re able to directly provide them the resources for city services and events that they might not necessarily have any access to otherwise,” Blochowicz said.
The area is a dead spot between the commercial hubs of La Gran Plaza and West Magnolia Avenue, with few food options, Blochowicz said.
Blochowicz received a certificate of occupancy in May and began renovating a small building on the corner. The Morningside Project serves as a co-working space for meetings or an event space for small workshops. The parking lot became The Fork Yard for vendors, food trucks and outdoor events.
By August, the space hosted frequent pop-up events and community gatherings. The lights and constant community presence helped prevent people from trespassing on the property or in nearby alleyways, Blochowicz said.
But in September, the city issued a code violation and said the group had to apply for a permit for mobile food vendors, tent vendors, picnic tables and temporary lights.
Everything was put on pause until the case is reviewed by the Zoning Commission on Jan. 14 and by the City Council on Feb. 10.
Blochowicz said she hopes to have other community services used the space to educate and inform residents. The project is not a profit-driven venture, she said, but a labor of love for the safety, cohesion and future of the community they live in.
“We’re not a corporation,” Blochowicz said. “We’re literally a couple of people from the neighborhood putting in our own time and effort to build this up for the community.”
