Updated Webster Groves youth facility developers address residents' concerns

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Plans to revamp a pediatric mental health campus in Webster Groves continue to get push-back from nearby residents .

Recently, KMOX News spoke with Webster Groves residents who opposed St. Louis Children's Hospital and KVC Missouri plans to build a pediatric mental health campus in Webster Groves.

"I think the most important thing to understand is what the conversation is really about," said Michael Garcia, spokesman for the group opposed to project on Total Information A.M. in September. "KVC is trying to frame this issue as a choice between supporting and opposing mental health services but that is simply not the case."

"We are simply against building a large residential hospital in the middle of a large residential neighborhood."

On Tuesday, KMOX's Total Information A.M. had on Trish Lollo, president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Lindsey Stephenson, president of KVC Missouri to discuss the project and concerns about the project from residents.

"I can appreciate how neighbors are feeling," said Lollo on Total Information A.M. "They are scared. They have had past experiences with past owners and operators of that property, which are no longer in business. I would say this is really about insuring that we are meeting the needs of kids in the region."

Stephenson says they are not expanding to number of patients and notes they took over the facility in April of 2023.

"Knowing some of this backstory, we really were intentional about the safety and security measures that we implemented immediately. We have really spent the last more than a year trying to make sure safety and security for our staff, for our kids and for our neighbors is a top priority."

Lollo and Stephenson adds they are not expanding the campus, but building a new facility and repurposing another building.

"We're really focused on replacing existing buildings on our campus," said Stephenson. "So we're getting rid of some aging buildings and buildings that haven't been used in a long time and building a state-of-the-art in patient children's mental health hospital."

The two organizations are still awaiting zoning approval to move ahead, but they are hopeful.

KVC has three other hospitals in Kansas. Lollo says Children's Hospital has a deep track record in the community going back 145 years.