Urban League opens new 45,000-square-foot facility in Ferguson Tuesday

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - This Spring, Centene Corporation donated its former Ferguson Call Center to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

The 45,000-square-foot building, worth an estimated $25-30 million, has been turned into the Centene Connection Community Center by the Urban League, with Tuesday marking the grand opening for the community center.

The facility will house "Head Start" program for children who are five-years-old and under, workforce development, education, housing re-entry programs and also have a regional food distribution center.

"We'll be able to do our "Save our Sons workforce program to get people jobs. We'll be able to get our "Save our Sisters Women's Empowerment" program up and running in North County and do some significant programming there for women, housing, public safety and a ton of other activities," said Mike McMillan, President and CEO of Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

The facility will also house the Midwest conference center, which can be used for community events.

"This is the largest single donation to any Urban League in the entire 114 years of our history across the country," said McMillan. "So we couldn't be more grateful to Centene for their contribution for the continued work we do together."