Greater St. Louis, Inc. (GSL), with support from the St. Louis Development Corporation, is accepting submissions for the Tenant Improvement Program (the “Program”) for 2025. Through the Program, GSL will offer reimbursable grants for up to $50,000, covering up to 25% of the costs of interior and exterior tenant improvements to high-impact street-level retail spaces in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods of the City of St. Louis.
The program’s goals are to encourage new businesses to open ground-floor locations along priority corridors and within targeted retail nodes, motivate property owners to work with prospective tenants to fill vacant spaces, increase the total number of retail businesses in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods, and provide amenities for Downtown workers, residents and visitors.
Eligible Applicants
The following individuals and businesses are eligible to apply for the Program:
- Current property owners in Downtown and Downtown West with a suitable prospective tenant;
- Prospective property owners in Downtown and Downtown West with a suitable prospective tenant;
- Prospective tenants in Downtown and Downtown West;
- Current tenants in Downtown and Downtown West seeking to open a second location in Downtown and Downtown West.
The Retail TI Grant is not designed to assist:
- Existing businesses within Downtown who wish to change locations or update their existing locations.
- Office tenants and similar non-retail uses.
- Tenants not located on the ground-floor with prominent street frontage.
All tenant applicants must have the consent of their current or prospective landlord and/or building owner to perform the work in question.
The grant is designed for tenants who will sign a lease with a minimum term of 12 months to occupy ground-floor space. Applicants must apply for, and receive approval of, the Retail TI Grant prior to signing their lease.
Eligible and Preferred Uses
The following uses are eligible for reimbursement under the Program:
- Interior demolition and shell reconstruction
- Permanent equipment, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and HVAC
- Permanent lighting
- Flooring
- Windows/doors/commercial storefront
- Historic restoration of interior features
- Permanent interior walls and finishes
- Permanent bar/counter/cash wrap for point of sale
- Architectural/interior design/permitting fees related to the interior improvements
- Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Hazardous materials abatement, such as asbestos removal
- Lead remediation
The following uses would not be eligible for reimbursement under the Program:
- Furniture such as tables, chairs, display racks and other similar fixtures
- Temporary or moveable cubicles or partitions to subdivide space
- Moveable equipment, fixtures, or furnishings
- Moving expenses, salaries, working capital, or inventory
- In-kind work performed by the applicant
- Other items deemed as narrowly tailored for a particular use and not potentially beneficial to other future users of the space.
Successful applicants will propose concepts that result in materially enhanced spaces that appeal broadly to a diverse customer base and contribute to vibrancy and activation. Establishments selling retail merchandise and/or providing an experiential service that is not currently available in the Downtown area are preferred. The Program will be used strategically in key corridors and retail nodes to implement the recommendations of the Design Downtown STL Plan.
The Program is intended to fund long-term, permanent tenant improvements to retail spaces that serve current and potential future tenants. A holistic approach will be used to evaluate eligibility and fit for the Program. Priority criteria include the type of business, anticipated impact on the Downtown retail scene, proposed length of lease term, and the location. The risk profile and history of the landlord and/or tenant will also be considered when awarding the tenant improvement grant. Businesses that have a demonstrated history of driving foot traffic will be preferred. The Program will be used strategically in key corridors and retail nodes to implement the recommendations of the Design Downtown STL Plan.
How to Apply and Next Steps
- Contact DowntownRetail@greaterstlinc.com to confirm your eligibility for the program, providing the following information:
- Property address & contact information for landlord and proposed tenant
- Proposed lease terms, if applicable
- Project idea and what kind of improvements you want to make
- Whether or not you are already working with an architect or designer
- Recent photograph(s) showing the interior and exterior of the space
- Copy of proposed tenant’s business plan
- If deemed preliminarily eligible, fill out and submit the attached application (attached)
- GSL may wish to tour the proposed space in order to better evaluate applications.
- If approved, enter into reimbursement agreement with GSL.
- Enter into lease with property owner and receive reimbursement pursuant to agreement with GSL
- Celebrate your contribution to the revitalization of our great City!
Contract Notes
Approved applicants will enter into a reimbursement agreement (the “Contract”) with GSL setting out the terms of the grant, which will operate as a reimbursement. The Contract will:
- Describe the tenant improvements to be performed
- Set out the items and amounts that GSL will reimburse and the process for receiving reimbursements
- Include other standard legal terms and conditions
Additional details on the Contract are as follows:
- GSL will not provide reimbursement for work completed prior to final approval of an applicant’s participation in the Program and a fully executed Contract.
- Applicants will be responsible for documenting all expenses and submitting receipts for reimbursement under the Contract.
- All work must be consistent with the Contract and any changes in work scope or materials must be approved in advance of that work being performed.
- Absent GSL approval, all improvements contemplated by an approved application and reflected in a Contract must be commenced within six months and completed within one year from Contract execution. Approved funds may be cancelled if your project does not meet these deadlines.
- In-kind work performed by the applicant will not be eligible for reimbursement under the Contract.