Neighborhoods - Winghaven

Nostalgia and convenience meet in this carefully planned community.

By Jennifer Roberts Wortman

It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Friday in WingHaven, and the lights of Churchill Coffee Express illuminate the still-dark street. As the doors are unlocked, the regular morning crowd files into the shop. Al Kelley, the first to arrive, fills his personal Churchill mug before perching at the end of the coffee bar. As owner Pam Pock finishes preparing for the day, the two chat about the past weekend’s bocce tournament, in which Al and his son played on the winning team.

As the regulars trickle in, talk shifts from politics to sports, from weekend events to blue-eyed Sydney, the youngest member of the group. “Syd has been with us since she was 3 days old,” says Paul Bock. “She is going to forever associate the smell of coffee with old retired men.” “We’re not all retired men,” retorts Moira Ross. The group laughs as Sydney, who has just turned 1, maneuvers her walker around the coffee shop, stopping briefly to smile at her dad.

The morning crowd—a mix of retirees, young professionals, children and stay-at-home parents—is typical. Even people from outside the neighborhood are drawn into the fold. Doug Bredbenner, an employee of MasterCard—which built its $135 million Global Technology and Operations Center in WingHaven—is known to this bunch as the “norther ’un” because he lives across town, on the north side of O’Fallon, Mo. Bredbenner takes his share of grief but still joins the coffee crew each morning on his way to work. “This is a great place,” he says solemnly.

In WingHaven, residents are on a first-name basis and neighbors travel aboard a free trolley. Even bicycles are left unchained outside the stores of the Boardwalk Market Place, which boasts an outpost of Seamus McDaniel’s, a custard stand, a pizza parlor and a library, among others. Many homes are within walking distance, making the market a favorite destination for pedestrians; others take the trolley. In the summer, kids ride the trolley to Dave’s on the Boardwalk, the community grocery store, and nurse sodas on the patio. “The neighborhood takes you back 50 years,” says owner Dave Gabris. “The day’s papers are delivered to the store before opening. Residents come, take a paper and return later to pay. Some even leave their money on the sidewalk.”

Last month, Gabris worried that he would have to close because his rent was so high. WingHaven flew into action, with neighbors rallying outside the store and the mayor promising to take action to help him stay, because his presence was part of the kind of community WingHaven wanted to create.

Commonspace activities such as movie nights, bocce, a weekend farmers’ market—even gardening—give residents countless opportunities to mingle with their neighbors. “Gardening was pretty competitive this past summer,” says Ross, who used her plot to grow tomatoes and her favorite red zinnias. Movie nights have become a monthly tradition, with families bringing lawn chairs to watch films and enjoy hot dogs grilled by Gabris. Last Christmas, Santa not only came to WingHaven, he was flown in by helicopter.

WingHaven’s community spirit didn’t just happen—it was planned. The 1,200-acre development was designed to connect and bring balance to busy lives. McEagle Development began building the community in 1999. Based on a concept now called LifeWorks, WingHaven emphasizes the integration of living, learning, working, playing and praying.

Soon to feature 26 neighborhoods, Wing Haven will ultimately house 1,850 families in apartments, multiple-family units and single-family homes. The mix of housing options accommodates most income levels. With demand increasing, homes are selling before construction is completed.

MasterCard saw potential in the development, as have other businesses. Recent additions, such as a UMB Bank branch and a 14-screen theater, are helping increase a workforce already 5,000 strong. A St. Luke’s patient-care facility and a Webster University extension campus render the area even more self-sufficient.

Despite all the growth, Churchill employee Debra Nance says living in WingHaven is “like going back to Mayberry.” She walks to work each morning on streets lit by antique street lamps and, once at work, keeps time with the help of an old-fashioned clock outside the shop.

As conversation in the coffeehouse shifts back to sports, a passerby asks Kelley whether he’s been to a game lately. “In St. Louis?” he asks. “If I had it my way, I’d never leave WingHaven.”