Press Releases
DATE: 17 April 2009
RELEASE NO: 09-14
Grace Hill’s Water Tower Health Center damaged during fire
The front of the strip mall where Grace Hill's Water Tower Health Center is located.
Photo by Gerald Sonnenberg
St. Louis firefighters shoot water on the roof from ladder trucks in the rear of the strip mall where Grace Hill's Water Tower Health Center is located. They were able to keep the fire from penetrating the fire wall into the health center.
Photo by Gerald Sonnenberg
By Mr. Gerald Sonnenberg
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- On April 16, 2009 Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers’ (GHNHC) Water Tower Health Center at 4308 N. Grand was damaged during a three-alarm fire at the Grand Plaza strip mall where the health center is located. Sixty firefighters from St. Louis and other local communities battled the blaze for at least eight hours. No one was injured.
Firefighters used six aerial ladders to pour water into a beauty supply store in the strip mall. Soon a Family Dollar store next door was also engulfed in flames.
Through the extraordinary efforts of the fire department, the health center did not suffer damage from the fire, other than some smoke. Two other businesses were destroyed and the building is being evaluated to see if the area where the health center is located will be safe to reoccupy.
In response, Water Tower patients will be seen at GHNHC’s Murphy-O’Fallon Health Center just down the road at 1717 Biddle, 63106; or Soulard-Benton Health Center at 2220 Lemp, 63104. These two facilities provide full-comprehensive health care services like adult medicine, dental, pharmacy, and pediatrics. In addition, the Murphy-O’Fallon Health Center provides podiatry and optometry services and a Children’s Developmental Center.
Transportation services are in place to accommodate most people.
Patients should continue to use the appointment line number of (314) 814-8700 to schedule or change their appointments, and ask to arrange for transportation.
A plan is underway to determine where a suitable temporary location for the Water Tower Health Center can be established if the current location cannot be reoccupied.
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