The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation (Missouri Preservation) recognized The Salvation Army’s historic Railton Residence with a Missouri Preservation Honor Award on March 2nd.   This development is an investment of the SLEF 2007 and 2008 Funds.

Missouri Preservation is Missouri’s only statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting, and coordinating historic preservation activities throughout the State. It annually honors individuals, groups and organizations that have contributed to the preservation of Missouri’s rich and diverse collection of historic resources.

The Railton Residence has been owned by the Army for more than 50 years. It originally opened in 1928 as the Robert E. Lee Hotel and was one of 10 different hotels to serve those traveling to and from Union Station and is the only one still standing.  Due to increasing maintenance costs and the facility rapidly nearing functional obsolescence a complete $14 million rehabilitation was necessary to save the building. The most important improvement, when it reopened in Nov. 2009, included the transformation from single room units to full apartments. Residents now have a kitchen in each unit and their own living space. The project was funded through low income housing tax credits and historic tax credits and is limited to residents earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.