ST. LOUIS – At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new offices of HOK at 701 Market Street, St. Louis leaders from the public and private sectors came together today to highlight a new partnership that will focus on keeping existing businesses Downtown and attracting businesses not currently in the neighborhood to establish a physical presence in the heart of the region.
“Downtown is the front door and the economic engine of St. Louis,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “We are working with GSL to ensure that we are listening to and working with businesses to make Downtown a place they want to stay and grow or establish a physical presence if they’re not already here.”
“HOK is a perfect example of the type of commitment to Downtown we are asking businesses to make, and we are excited to help them cut the ribbon to kick off their next chapter of growth in Downtown St. Louis,” added Spencer.
HOK – a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm – announced in late 2024 its desire to stay Downtown and its plan to move into new, bigger space that could support its plans for growth.
“This space reflects our commitment in St. Louis’ future. It brings together talented people, emerging ideas and long-standing relationships in a setting that supports innovation, mentorship, and meaningful community impact,” said Eli Hoisington, HOK co-CEO and Design Principal of the company’s St. Louis studio.
Added Brad Liebman, Marketing Principal of HOK’s St. Louis studio: “The new St. Louis office is a living laboratory for how we work today, showcasing the design strategies we bring to our clients while supporting collaboration, focused work, and well-being. Natural light, views of the Downtown and flexible work settings create a welcoming, high-performing environment.”
Working With Businesses to Establish Presence Downtown
In addition to HOK, several other businesses have recently committed to Downtown or announced their plans to move to or expand in the neighborhood. Those include accounting and advisory firm Anders; law firm Baker Sterchi, Cowden, and Rice; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri; and tech companies and organizations like CyberUp and TechSTL.
“We have a lot of great businesses already Downtown and our focus is to work together to ensure we make this neighborhood a place businesses not only want to stay, but will add jobs as they grow in the future,” said Ron Kitchens, Managing Partner, Greater St. Louis, Inc., who added that GSL and Mayor Spencer’s team are partnering on a strategy to engage and retain existing Downtown businesses, and help recruit more employers to the neighborhood.
“We are a regional organization and work every day to grow jobs across all 15 counties that make up our metro. At the same time, our region will only move forward if our Downtown is thriving, so we are talking with our corporate partners about how we can help them be a part of its revitalization, even if it is just placing a division here,” Kitchens added.
Committing to Downtown’s Revitalization
Joining Mayor Spencer and GSL for the event were Alderwoman Jami Cox Antwi, who represents part of Downtown, as well as Missy Kelley of Anders and Matt Ratz, owner of UKRAFT Brunch Café, which is located on the ground floor of the building into which HOK has moved.
“We love being Downtown, and not just because our business is going well,” said Ratz. “We see the investments being made. We see increased public safety. We see more events taking place and people out and about. We see the momentum, and we want to be involved in keeping it going.”
The success of UKRAFT highlights the type of street-level activity the City and GSL have been working to develop through the Downtown Retail Incentive program – a joint initiative of GSL and the St. Louis Development Corporation – and through activations that increase foot traffic downtown.
The Retail Incentive program awards grants to local retail establishments to improve their space, make upgrades to their exterior, or establish a pop-up to increase vibrancy and help small businesses establish a foothold in the neighborhood. The new group of awardees is set to be announced in the near future.
Additionally, the City, GSL, and other partners have partnered to upgrade infrastructure – including the recent work on 7th Street, Broadway, Market, and 4th Streets – and increase activations like Lunchtime Live, Tours and Pours, and City Social.