KAI, Urban Sprouts celebrate deeper roots in community

KAI, an African American-owned firm headquartered in the St. Louis area, served as construction manager and general contractor for a $2.3 million expansion of Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in University City.

The project at 6757 Olive Boulevard included converting a former gas station into Café O’ Play, a retail café, and renovating a second vacant building for support offices. KAI also provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing design-build management.

Urban Sprouts, an early-childhood education center founded in 2009, says it has a waiting list of more than 450 families. Its ongoing campus expansion is intended to increase the number of early-childhood education seats it offers by 40%.

KAI previously constructed an addition connecting the center to an adjacent building, which was renovated to include classrooms, art space, program and administrative areas and an outdoor play area. That project created space for 60 children ages 3 to 5.

Urban Sprouts founder Ellicia Lanier credited community support during an Aug. 27 ceremony.

“There is no version of this day that happens because of one person, one gift, one organization or one idea,” Lanier said.

“This is what happens when things become possible, when a community decides that children and families deserve something extraordinary and rolls up its sleeves to do it.”

Michael B. Kennedy, CEO of KAI, said the project extends beyond the child development center.

“What makes this project especially meaningful is the way Urban Sprouts is thinking beyond the traditional boundaries of childcare and creating a place that serves entire families and the broader community,” Kennedy said.

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