Photo by Alex Bakken courtesy of Gateway Arch Park Foundation
Urgency and optimism.
That’s what comes to mind when I think about the transformative effect that new economic development legislation, which went into effect last week, will have on our city.
This truly game-changing set of bills gives Downtown St. Louis an unprecedented opportunity to compete with any city in the country to win new investment and development.
That’s not just new buildings and new attractions. It means more jobs for our communities, more money in families’ pockets, safer streets, and better infrastructure, all of which creates more opportunities for growth.
More opportunities and more optimism.
It also prioritizes urgency. By cutting bureaucratic red tape, we no longer are bound by rules created for last century’s development.
These are forward-thinking tools that allow us to focus on the next generation of St. Louis. And collectively, they have the opportunity to fundamentally change how we grow and how we do business.
That’s why Greater St. Louis, Inc. worked day-in and day-out to champion these bills. It’s why, when the legislation fell short the first time around, our team rethought our process and prioritized building a coalition of communities across our state — from Ozark to St. Joseph to Sikeston — who came together to support this landmark legislation. And when we convened and built partnership, these ideas went from just “good ideas” to good ideas we could execute.
But while this legislation will support downtowns and Main Streets across our state, it was designed with Downtown St. Louis in mind.
Because for the first time in our history, we finally have the tools we need to build a Downtown St. Louis where thousands more people live. Where restaurants and retailers thrive. Where historic buildings find new purpose. Where employers choose to grow, our streets stay active after 5 p.m., and young people decide this is where they want to build a career and a life.
This optimism is not coming out of nowhere. Next time you’re in Downtown St. Louis, look around.
Look at the cranes breaking ground. Look at the construction underway. Look at the opportunities that are ahead of us, from the $670 million Millenium Hotel redevelopment project, to new, mixed-use apartment buildings in Downtown and Downtown West, to the revitalization of the mural on the Edison Brothers building.
This might feel like a starting point — but really, we’re coming out of the pit stop with a fresh set of tires.
We have to do the work to stand up the infrastructure needed to access these tools, but we’re meeting this moment with the urgency it requires.
St. Louis is a great American city, and I firmly believe are very few places in America that have the excitement and potential that we have right now.
Know that at Greater St. Louis, Inc. we will continue working to make Downtown St. Louis the vibrant, prosperous place we know it can be. We will continue sharing our wins and building momentum, because when momentum grows, optimism becomes contagious.