Just on the tip of southwest St. Louis County is the fast growing city of Fenton, Missouri. In just the last ten years the city has added more than 300 acres of retail and business space at the Gravois Bluffs shopping center, opened the large multipurpose Riverchase Recreational Complex, and most recently they welcomed the addition of the metro-area’s first new hospital in 35 years, St. Clare Hospital.

In a metropolitan area dominated by cars, highway travel, and less than average commuter drives, Fenton was once considered to be on the outskirts of the county even though it is only a half-hour drive from downtown and offers easy access to multiple highways. However, it is perhaps one of the best attributes of the St. Louis metro-area that any commute over a half-hour is considered “lengthy”.

Though there has been a surge in growth over the last few years, the proximity to the river encouraged people to call Fenton home as far back as a 1,000 years ago.

A prime location for custom built homes, Fenton is located in the highly sought after Rockwood School District. The city proper is only 5.5 square miles, but, unlike many older cities, it is still possible to secure a sizable chunk of acreage in the surrounding areas. For it’s unique combination of a rich history with open acreage, the city’s Historical Society boasts it as one of the “county’s best kept secrets.”

The Chrysler Plant that was once the city’s staple business has closed, but plans to redevelop the space into a “green” business park are presently in the works. Local and state officials are recruiting green firms to take up residence in the former assembly plant. The city is working with a $2.1 million dollar grant to redevelop the space, and businesses who locate there also have the added advantage of paying no municipal property taxes. The goal of the project is to bring new life to the 5 million square foot property that is now sitting vacant.

You can learn more about the city of Fenton by visiting their website, www.FentonMo.org.