St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC)

More momentum for Downtown St. Louis. 👏 SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. are proud to support local businesses—like Pop Pop Hurray and Karsyns Soule’—as they grow and strengthen economic activity through the Downtown Retail Incentive program. Learn more about the awardees and what these investments mean for the city in the St. Louis American article: stlamerican.com/uncategorized/… Other award recipients include Lit Life Creations, Bella’s Café & Coffee and The Italian Soda Club.

NEEC will be closed tomorrow, Friday, 3/ 20 for STLCC's spring holiday. Regular business hours will resume on Monday, 3/23. Email rowane@stlouis-mo.gov for immediate assistance.

Celebrate with The Ville this Saturday at the MLK Cultural Boulevard Block Party! 🎉 Join 4theVille and SLDC to explore what's ahead for the corridor—from open storefront activations and a first look at the final plan to opportunities for community input. Enjoy food, music and giveaways while connecting with your neighbors. 🍴 ⏰ Saturday, March 21 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 📌 4144 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive 🔗 Learn more at eventbrite.com/e/mlk-cultural….

Thinking about buying a home on the South Side? SLDC is teaming up with Dutchtown South Community Corporation, Dutchtown Main Streets and St. Joseph Housing Initiative for the sixth annual homeownership event, Go South Side! Meet local real estate agents and other industry professionals who specialize in buying and selling South Side homes and learn about financial options for first-time buyers and low- and moderate-income buyers. Plus, free child care will be available during the event. 📅 Wednesday, March 25 ⏰ 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. 📍St. Mary's South Side Catholic High School (4701 S. Grand Blvd.) Find more information about the free event: dutchtownstl.org/gosouthside

Love Bank Park shows how community vision and strategic reuse of vacant land can create a vibrant public space in St. Louis. Once two underused lots (including a parcel cleared by the City's Land Reutilization Authority), the corner of Cherokee Street and Nebraska Avenue is now a colorful plaza, basketball court and gathering place for the neighborhood. Designed by Arbolope Studio and shaped by community voices, the park features flexible space for events and recreation, permeable surfaces that manage stormwater, and designs inspired by Latin American plazas and the neighborhood's diverse culture—reflecting the creativity and energy of Cherokee Street. Learn more about the story behind Love Bank Park and the community effort that brought it to life in this recent article: landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/love-bank-park

SLDC has teamed up with Great Rivers Greenway and Brickline North Community Development Corporation to ensure equitable economic development along the Brickline Greenway, a visionary project that will connect 14 neighborhoods and four parks in the City of St. Louis. Learn more about how this unique public-private-community partnership is bringing neighborhoods together, sparking equitable reinvestment and building civic pride in our Q&A with GRG’s T. Christopher Peoples and SLDC’s Curtis Griggs. ow.ly/NTLa50Ys5xU

Closing the digital divide in St. Louis takes collaboration. For the second year in a row, @netinclusion has named the City of St. Louis a 2025 Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazer, recognizing the city’s commitment to expanding digital access and opportunity for residents. Working alongside the City of St. Louis, SLDC has helped advance this effort through initiatives like the St. Louis Digital Inclusion Action Plan, free community WiFi and digital learning labs hosted at spaces such as the Northside Economic Empowerment Center. SLDC team members Tanjii Cole, Digital Equity Manager, and Gage McCallister, Broadband Analyst, recently accepted the award in Chicago on behalf of the City of St. Louis. Learn more about the recognition: ow.ly/YWuj50Yqq8h.

Connect, collaborate and help shape the future of tech in St. Louis. Join SLDC for the ConnectSTL Q1 Network Meeting on Friday, March 20 at 1 p.m. at Spark Coworking! This free event brings together regional employers, funders, workforce leaders, nonprofits and innovators working to advance the digital and tech ecosystem. Whether you're pursuing grants, building new programs, hiring tech talent or seeking strategic partnerships, this is an opportunity to share ideas, build connections and move the region forward together. Learn more and register: ow.ly/GpkV50YqpZM.

Today and every day, we celebrate the women of SLDC. From supporting small businesses to advancing transformative development projects, their leadership, expertise and dedication play a vital role in building a stronger, more equitable future for St. Louis. Happy International Women’s Day to the exceptional women who help move our work and our city forward!

Check out the story from @KMOV: firstalert4.com/2026/03/05/awa…

Two leaders. One mission: building a stronger St. Louis. Two St. Louis Development Corporation team members have been named to the @stlmag St. Louis Business 500, which recognizes the metro area’s most impactful, innovative and inspirational leaders. Otis Williams, Interim CEO, led SLDC from 2013 to 2021 before returning to the role in May 2025. Throughout his career, he has championed transformative projects including Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village and Cortex Innovation Community that continue to shape the region’s growth. Susan Taylor, St. Louis Port Authority Port Director, oversees a 70-mile network that ranks among the nation’s busiest and most efficient inland ports. The system moves millions of tons of freight annually, providing year-round access that is vital to the U.S. supply chain and regional economy. Congratulations to Otis and Susan on this well-deserved recognition! See the full list of honorees in government, economic and community development here: ow.ly/CSEF50Ypg72.

New energy is coming to Downtown St. Louis! Today, SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. (@greaterstlinc) announced the latest businesses receiving support through the Downtown Retail Incentive Program, a partnership designed to attract new storefronts and build street-level vibrancy in the heart of the city. This group of awardees will bring fresh offerings to downtown, including coffee, comfort food, spiritual wellness experiences, and gourmet popcorn—adding to the growing momentum of small businesses choosing Downtown St. Louis. “SLDC is proud to continue our partnership with Greater St. Louis, Inc. on the Downtown Retail Incentive Program. This funding collaboration reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the core of our city by attracting new retail, restaurants, and neighborhood amenities that make downtown St. Louis a more vibrant place to live, work, and visit," said interim SLDC President and CEO Otis Williams. "By aligning our resources and strategies, we’re helping activate storefronts, support small businesses, and build the kind of street-level energy that drives long-term economic growth.” Read more: greaterstlinc.com/newsroom/incre…

SLDC taps veteran community champion Stephen Westbrooks as its next president and CEO! A St. Louis native, Stephen focuses on expanding access to investment and strengthening communities. With deep expertise in community development finance, real estate, and economic development, he most recently guided capital strategies for a Community Development Financial Institution managing more than $1 billion in assets. Stephen also serves and has served on several boards and councils, including the @stlouisfed, @GreatRiversstl Foundation, and @TowerGrovePark. "I am honored to join the St. Louis Development Corporation and excited to work alongside the dedicated team and partners who are committed to making St. Louis a place of opportunity for all,” said Stephen. “There’s great potential in St. Louis, and I look forward to collaborating with community stakeholders to drive meaningful change that will benefit everyone who calls this great city home." St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer added that she has full confidence in Stephen to help create a clear, standardized incentive process for developers and community members alike. Stephen is expected to begin leading SLDC on March 30, 2026.

St. Louis Development Corporation is connecting small business owners with the tools they need to grow and thrive. @ksdknews recently spotlighted SLDC’s first North St. Louis Business Collective event on March 2, where entrepreneurs connected with trusted local partners and gained practical guidance on certifications, taxes, insurance and more. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for details on the next St. Louis Business Collective event coming soon. ow.ly/MrO950Yp8At

The @HCCMetroSTL is launching its next Small Business Success Program cohort on April 7. This bilingual, culturally relevant business support program helps businesses strengthen operations and grow sustainably through one-on-one advising, business planning support, virtual learning, in-person workshops and access to mentors and peer networks. Eligible businesses must have been operating for at least two years and be actively generating revenue. The application deadline is Friday, March 20. Apply here: forms.office.com/pages/response… For questions or assistance, contact Nesi Fritz at nfriz@hccstl.com.

We're celebrating a major investment in justice and community power in North St. Louis: the opening of the Northside Movement Center on Goodfellow Boulevard in North Pointe. The 36,000-square-foot facility brings @ArchCityDefense and Action St. Louis together under one roof, strengthening access to holistic legal advocacy and critical social services. Formerly the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, the building has been transformed through a $7 million renovation supported in part by New Markets Tax Credits from St. Louis Development Corporation. With a full-size gym, meeting and training spaces, wellness areas and more, the Northside Movement Center stands as a powerful new hub dedicated to serving those often left without resources, support or representation. Learn more in this story from @stlpublicradio: ow.ly/hmkK50YoeZw.

A reminder for St. Louis property and business owners impacted by the May 16, 2025, tornado: The deadline to apply for Private Property Assistance through the City's STL Recovers initiative is Saturday, February 28. This program is designed to help connect eligible property owners and businesses to recover resources and support. If you or someone you know may qualify, we encourage you to apply before the deadline. Learn more about eligibility, program details and apply online at app.stlrecovers.com.

As part of our continued commitment to driving economic growth and revitalizing neighborhoods, St. Louis Development Corporation has acquired two long-vacant historic school buildings from @Saint Louis Public Schools. Both Cleveland High School in Dutchtown and Marshall School in The Ville were designed by renowned local architect William B. Ittner and date back to the early 1900s. These iconic structures have tremendous potential to serve as anchors for community investment and future opportunity. SLDC will now work collaboratively with community partners to restore and preserve these buildings for future redevelopment, honoring their legacy while unlocking new possibilities for their neighborhoods. Read more in @St. Louis Post-Dispatch: ow.ly/Zisy50Ym7S6.

Residents and businesses near Goodfellow Blvd. are invited to a community town hall to learn about work underway at 4690 & 4700 Goodfellow Blvd., including remediation and demolition updates. 📆 Feb. 24 | 2–2:30 p.m. 📍 5390 Bircher Blvd. ✔️ No registration required