St. Louis BWorks buys South Grand church building, returning to Shaw with expanded youth programs
A first permanent headquarters after decades of relocating
St. Louis BWorks, a youth-focused nonprofit that teaches bicycle safety and repair alongside computer skills, has purchased the former Compton Heights Christian Church building at 2149 S. Grand Blvd. in the Shaw neighborhood. The acquisition marks the first time the organization has owned its own facility, ending a long period of operating in borrowed or rented spaces.
BWorks has spent roughly the past 15 years in a rented location in Soulard. The move back to Shaw is also a return to the organization’s roots: BWorks began in the Shaw area in the mid-1980s before expanding and shifting locations over time.
How the building became available
The church congregation decided to sell after concluding that maintaining a large, aging property was no longer the best use of its resources. Church communications show the property was put on the market in 2024 amid significant repair needs, and the congregation later relocated worship services to rented space elsewhere in the city.
The South Grand building has also served as a community hub for decades, hosting multiple organizations in addition to the church. One long-term tenant, Isaiah 58 Ministries, is expected to continue operating at the South Grand site through November 2026 while it transitions to a new location and fundraising campaign.
What BWorks plans to change—and what it will keep
BWorks has indicated it will renovate the property while maintaining continuity for its existing services, including its used-bike retail operation. The layout of the church building is expected to support multiple functions under one roof. Plans call for classroom space for instruction and a larger footprint for bike and computer refurbishment, storage, volunteer activity, and administration.
The organization has projected a phased transition: an initial move targeted for later in 2026, with full occupancy anticipated by spring 2027.
Programs and recent growth
BWorks operates multi-week programs that culminate with participants earning equipment. Core offerings include:
Earn-A-Bike, a six-week program combining repair skills, safe-riding instruction and supervised riding
Learn-To-Ride, focused on foundational cycling skills
Earn-A-Computer, teaching practical computer use alongside an earned device
BWorks reported 683 student graduates across its programs in 2025, including 455 Earn-A-Bike graduates, 74 Learn-To-Ride graduates and 154 Earn-A-Computer graduates—figures the organization described as an increase from the prior year.
The purchase places BWorks on a major transit corridor and near major city parks, aligning day-to-day operations with the group’s emphasis on safe mobility, skill-building and accessible programming.
Neighborhood footprint and community use
The transaction keeps the building in active community use rather than leaving it vacant or subject to demolition and redevelopment. With Isaiah 58 Ministries continuing on-site in the near term and BWorks planning renovations and expanded programming, the property is set to function as a multi-purpose community asset through the transition period.