Photograph by Josh Monken
While parts of North County continue to grapple with the same woes that have plagued the area for years (home foreclosures, poverty, school closings), Ferguson continues its onward march toward a growing, sustainable community. Nowhere is that transformation more evident than the 10-block stretch of Florissant Road known as Citywalk, where at least six new retail establishments have cropped up within the past five years. “We’ve tried to introduce at least one new thing a year,” says developer Joe Lonero.
Lonero led the development of Citywalk some 10 years ago, and he and his son Mike are behind two of its newest arrivals, Ferguson Brewing Company and Cork Wine Bar. “I’m not going to lie—when we first came in here, it was bad news,” Lonero says. “We specifically spread out our first couple locations just to get people down here.” Lonero also sprinkled residential lofts near the businesses, which today he reports to be 100 percent occupied. Even the commercial space is about 75 percent full. “We can hardly wait for spring and
summer,” he says.
Changing with the physical landscape are some of the pessimistic attitudes about the area. Certainly, Shannon Howard’s online magazine, NOCO (nocostl.com), has something to do with that. “But North County overall has been getting more positive press,” she says.
