Roads, Bridges Benefit From $3B In IL Funding, Great Rivers And Routes See Big Boosts in Tourism, Launch Of 'Afghan Journal' Fulfills, The Promise Of Support Program, And More
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TRAVEL THE METRO EAST
ROADS, BRIDGES BENEFIT FROM $3B IN IL FUNDING
The Metro East’s infrastructure will get major upgrades between 2024 – 2029, thanks to $3 billion in new investment from the state of Illinois. Seven major highway projects are planned, including Poplar Street Bridge and road repairs from the Mississippi to the I-64 interchange and bridge repairs throughout a 21-mile portion of I-255 in Monroe and St. Clair Counties.
Illinois welcomed 111 million visitors in fiscal year 2023 — 14 million more than 2021 — a bump that benefited the Metro East, according to Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau out of Alton, Illinois. Thanks to statewide and regional tourism campaigns, spending in southwestern Illinois increased by 11%, while area attractions saw a 25% increase in that same timeframe, boosting jobs, generating tax revenue, and supporting the local economy.
LAUNCH OF ‘AFGHAN JOURNAL’ FULFILLS THE PROMISE OF SUPPORT PROGRAM
Just published, the inaugural issue of “The Afghan Journal” helps inform and engage Afghan immigrants here in St. Louis and beyond. The newspaper is a key component of the Afghan Support Program, founded in part by Jerry Schlichter, local attorney and executive-level investor of the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Chair’s Council, in partnership with the International Institute of St. Louis.
“The Afghan newspaper, major housing fund, computer coding classes, iPads and cell phones, and $15,000 grants to entrepreneurs are helping us make St. Louis a preferred destination for Afghans looking for a new home,” said Schlichter at the opening of the new Afghan CommunityCenter earlier this year.
Join Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the Women’s Creative Saturday, July 15, for Market Off Market, a new vendor market series that celebrates St. Louis’ best local makers, purveyors, and creators in the heart of Downtown.
A new program will provide training, childcare, and transportation to help recruit more than 200 metro residents to the bioscience sector, a key growth industry outlined in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. The program, Biotech for MO, targets women, people of color, and those from lower-income households, diversifying the industry while filling its ranks.
WASHU RESEARCHERS DEVELOP DEVICE THAT DETECTS COVID VIRUS
Five minutes: that’s all the time it takes for a new air monitor built by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis — an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council — to identify the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. Headed to commercialization, the innovative new machine will help prevent the spread of the virus, and, in the future, other pathogens.
IN GRAVOIS PARK, ART PLACE INITIATIVE MAKES HOUSING ACCESSIBLE TO ARTISTS
In a model unique in the metro, St. Louis Art Place Initiative helps local artists build generational wealth through homeownership. The initiative, a partnership between organizations like GSL Chair’s Council Member Kranzberg Arts Foundation, GSL Member Regional Arts Commission, and Habitat for Humanity, has recently opened a new round of homeowner applications, giving artists the opportunity to build equity — and grow the economy.
“Our success is something that's just going to continue to compound and grow stronger,” said St. Louis Art Place Initiative Co-Director Kaveh Razani. “This is a very exciting time for us, we're looking to kind of continue to do what we're doing in Gravois Park and explore whether this model makes sense elsewhere outside of the south side.”
The University of Missouri St. Louis, a GSL Chair’s Council member, now has an additional $20 million more to work with, following $40 million in capital improvement ARPA funding granted by Missouri last year. “This investment from the state brings the university closer to realizing our vision to transform UMSL to better utilize our land assets for the benefit of our students and the region for generations to come,” said UMSL Chancellor Kristin Sobolik.
St. Louis Community College will break ground July 19 on a nearly $62 million Center for Nursing and Health Sciences at its Florissant Valley campus in Ferguson. The new four-story, 100,000-square-foot building is part of the school’s $500 million facilities update, made possible through the passage of Prop R, proudly backed by GSL and approved by voters in St. Louis City, County, and parts of Jefferson and Franklin Counties.
St. Louis-based Lion Forge Entertainment has forged a deal with Nickelodeon, giving the children’s entertainment giant the right of first refusal to produce its content. Launched in 2019, the Academy Award-winning STLMade animation studio has only grown and continues to make a name for itself for its compelling, diverse, and inclusive stories.
The Missouri Press Association will induct St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs, a GSL board member, into the Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame this fall, during the organization’s annual convention and trade show in St. Louis. During Suggs’ tenure, the American was named the top Black newspaper in the country 14 times and has received more than 1,000 industry awards.
WELLS FARGO INCUBATOR PARTNERS WITH DANFORTH CENTER
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator will advance seven new startups — including three based in St. Louis — advancing technologies targeting the effects of climate change on global food systems. Part of the incubator’s agtech track, each startup will receive up to $250,000 in nondilutive funding and be paired with research scientists from the Donald Danforth Plant Center, a GSL Investor Council member. Wells Fargo is an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council.
$7M IN GRANTS FROM ENTERPRISE SUPPORT LOCAL, GLOBAL NONPROFITS
Sixteen local nonprofits will receive grant funding thanks to Clayton-based Enterprise Holdings Inc., an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council. Enterprise’s “ROAD Forward” initiative addresses social and racial equity gaps in early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. In total, the program this year will support more than 600 nonprofits around the world.
Entrepreneur and talent recruiter Anjie Sanford has launched a new program through BioSTL that offers minority college students internships at St. Louis bioscience companies and helps them thrive via networking opportunities, mentorship, community service, and more.
