African People鈥檚 Education and Defense Fund聽says the city聽tried to back out of the deal, citing federal charges against leader of an affiliated group.聽聽
ST. LOUIS 鈥 The city鈥檚 vacant property land bank on Wednesday backed off a proposal to reconsider three real estate options granted to a group with ties to the African People鈥檚 Socialist Party, whose chairman was indicted last month on charges of working with Russian agents to spread propaganda.
In April, the St. 亚洲无码 Land Reutilization Authority board approved two-year options for the African People鈥檚 Education and Defense Fund to purchase two vacant buildings and a vacant lot on West Florissant Avenue. The board was poised to reconsider the approval, but as its meeting began Wednesday morning, the board removed the agenda item that could have rescinded the options.
With about a dozen supporters in the room behind her, APEDF Ona Zen茅 Yeshitela thanked LRA Director Lance Knuckles and the board for dropping the agenda item and allowing it to keep the options for the properties. If acquired, the group says it will rehab the spaces to house community health programs. It has already purchased and improved several properties from LRA and others along the West Florissant Avenue corridor near its headquarters building, which it shares with the African People鈥檚 Education and Defense Fund.
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Yeshitela said the group has spent over $1 million on community development in an area of town that sees little, and its efforts have spurred other property owners to invest in their buildings.
鈥淲e are out in the community really trying to help people see the north side should be looking like the south side,鈥 Yeshitela told the board.
But she called for the LRA to better explain and define the community outreach policies it requires prospective buyers to follow.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy,鈥 Yeshitela said. 鈥淭his issue is bigger than APEDF.鈥
Knuckles has said he plans additional community meetings to explain new LRA guidelines released in January. The revamp of LRA policies followed a six-month pause in land bank sales after Knuckles was hired to lead the agency.
Yeshitela鈥檚 husband, Omali Yeshitela, chairs the African People鈥檚 Socialist Party and was indicted in April on federal conspiracy charges alleging he participated in a Russian 鈥渁gitation and propaganda鈥 campaign to sow dissent in the United States and promote the Russian narrative about its invasion of Ukraine. APEDF officials say their community development activities are completely distinct and neither it nor any of its board members are under investigation.
Ona Zen茅 Yeshitela said after the April meeting, Knuckles told her the LRA would reconsider the sales after receiving a complaint that the APEDF was tied to the African People鈥檚 Socialist Party.
Knuckles said he had an 鈥渙bligation鈥 to raise the question. A subsequent staff letter alleging the APEDF didn鈥檛 follow the land bank鈥檚 community outreach guidelines was in error, he said Tuesday.
Overall, Knuckles said the APEDF has proven it has the capacity to acquire and maintain LRA properties and has done good work in the neighborhoods where it is active.
After a press conference Tuesday denouncing Knuckles over the initial plans to rescind the options, APEDF鈥檚 lawyer, Life Malcolm, sang his praises by Wednesday morning.
鈥淚 really appreciate the leadership of Mr. Knuckles,鈥 Malcolm told the board.