Urban Fort Play to Close Next Month

The McKinley Heights spot offered a place for kids to play while their parents got some much-needed community

Nov 29, 2023 at 9:26 am

Urban Play Fort is soon to be no more. Holden Hindes

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An indoor family center in McKinley Heights will soon close its doors. Urban Fort Play (1854 Russell Boulevard, 314-376-4235, urbanfortplay.com) announced this morning its impending closure on December 17 on Facebook.

"We have appreciated all of your love and support these past 6 years," wrote co-owners Megan King-Popp and Monica Croke. "It has been a dream fulfilled to create a space of community and so much joy. We will miss continuing the connections made with families through the years."

The property is listed for sale or lease by Warren Popp of Heritage Properties. A 4,492-square-foot restaurant and retail space, it's going for $695,000 and includes the cafe equipment and furnishings.

Urban Fort opened in 2017 as a spot for children seven years and younger to play while their parents hung out. King-Popp, who holds a degree in elementary education, was inspired to create the space after a Forest Park play date for the children in her in-home daycare got rained out.

She purposefully made sure there were support services for parents and a social element as well.

“Young parents don't want to give up that part of our life,” King-Popp told the RFT at the time. “The purpose of Urban Fort is to meld the idea of a play space for young kids with a hangout space for adults.”

In 2021, Urban Fort Play added a cafe, Gather, building a soundproof wall between the spaces so that people who were not interested in the businesses play concept could attend the cafe peacefully. It closed permanently in June.