Block22 is an innovative, mix-use, living-learning community at 4th and Broadway in Downtown Pittsburg. In 2018, a unique partnership between Pittsburg State University, the City of Pittsburg, and the Vecino Group transformed four historic buildings at 4th and Broadway into an entrepreneurial center.
The project was named one of the top university-led projects in the nation by the University Economic Development Association. It also was the catalyst for numerous new businesses to open in historic buildings within a six-block radius along Broadway, from boutiques to bookstores to mercantiles.
On both the east and west side of Broadway, the city’s main arterial street, Block22 features residential, commercial, dining, and entertainment spaces:
The name “Block22” ties into the city’s rich heritage of pioneering entrepreneurs. The city’s founders platted Pittsburg into 51 blocks. The oldest building in the Block22 project, the Opera House Hotel, was located in the 22nd block of the original map — hence, Block22!
Block22 is funded through a public-private partnership between Pittsburg State University, the City of Pittsburg and the Vecino Group, a development/housing specialist based in Springfield, Mo.
The City of Pittsburg committed $1.5 million in funding from its Revolving Loan Fund, Pittsburg State University committed $1 million in fundraising, and the Vecino Group secured $10.05 million in tax credits. The remaining balance of $5.4 million was in the form of a loan assumed by the Vecino Group and is being paid through a long-term lease agreement with Pittsburg State University.