National Economic Development Leaders View Progress in St. Louis, International Institute: "Everyone has to play their part in making St. Louis welcoming", and More
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Advancing Inclusive Economic Growth: National Economic Development Leaders View Progress in St. Louis
Group from prestigious Brookings program hears from GSL, visits Delmar Divine, Ferguson
This week, Greater St. Louis, Inc. welcomed economic development leaders from around the country during a convening of the prestigious Brookings’ Regional Inclusive Growth Network. GSL last year was selected as one of eight organizations representing small and mid-sized cities to participate in the 18-month program, which helps participants develop goals, capabilities, practices, and strategic investments that center economic and racial inclusion as key economic objectives.
Over the course of three days, the RIGN group toured the metro, from Downtown to the Delmar DiVIne to the Ferguson Empowerment Center, visiting organizations leading the way to inclusive growth in St. Louis and throughout the region. Participants heard from a variety of regional leaders, including a panel that reflected on the tenth anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown and how the subsequent Ferguson Report influenced the development of the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. Moderated by GSL Vice President Lakesha Mathis, the panel included St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis President and CEO Michael McMillan, and GSL CEO Jason Hall.
BJC HealthCare Nearing Completion of $1B Campus Transformation
BJC HealthCare, the region’s largest employer, has placed the final structural beam in Plaza West Tower, the last project planned for the healthcare organization’s $1 billion transformation of the Central West End campus it shares with Washington University School of Medicine. Both institutions are executive-level members of the GSL Chair’s Council.
July 1: Intern and Apprentice Recruitment Act Opens Applications
Last year, Missouri Governor Mike Parson came to GSL to sign the Intern and Apprentice Recruitment Act, a major GSL policy priority designed to help attract top talent to St. Louis and Missouri. The bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by both houses of the Missouri General Assembly, opens to qualifying employers July 1, 2024. Watch an informational webinar to learn more.
Summit at UMSL Supports Work of Anchor Institutions
The University of Missouri-St. Louis, a GSL Chair’s Council member, hosted the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities’ two-day Anchor Learning Network Action Summit on its campus last week, bringing representatives from 22 higher education institutions to the metro. The event showcased the work UMSL and its partners in the St. Louis Anchor Action Network are doing to promote hiring and purchasing in disinvested areas of St. Louis.
International Institute: "Everyone has to play their part in making St. Louis welcoming"
Over the last six months, St. Louis has seen the largest influx of immigrants and refugees in 20 years, according to the International Institute, a member of the GSL Investor Council that works to support foreign-born populations. While this is a boon for the metro, these new neighbors need resources, according to Arrey Obenson, the organization’s President and CEO.
"We’re incredibly lucky to have these people coming to St. Louis,” he said. “This community has seen a declining population, and these people coming to St. Louis bring tremendous value to grow the population, revitalize the workforce, and to move this community to prosperity."
St. Louisan Celebrates Her Roots on PBS Competition Show
A native of Togo who moved to the Metro East as a teenager, Adjo Honsou is representing her roots on PBS’s “The Great American Recipe” this summer. The national cooking competition, which kicks off June 17, celebrates U.S. contestants who cook food from around the world. “I found out that St. Louisans are not just ready to try new things, they are hungry to try new things,” said Honsou, a trained scientists turned culinary entrepreneur.
This week, Opera Theatre St. Louis unveiled its 2025 season, which will celebrate the institution’s 50th anniversary with a world premier featuring a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. After OTSL’s history-making premier of “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” “This House” will again call attention to St. Louis’ prowess in producing globally significant art.
Citygarden Reopens for Summer with More Space and Sculpture
Just in time for summer, Citygarden in Downtown St. Louis will welcome guests with four new sculptures and an added section bridging its eastern and western halves across 9th Street. Funded by the Gateway Foundation, Citygarden serves as a playground, greenspace, and public art exhibition, adding vibrancy to the heart of Downtown.
Winning STL: WashU’s “Significant Impact to the St. Louis Economy”
In the latest installment of WinningSTL, the series from GSL Chair’s Council Member the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Publisher Ian Caso sat down with Andrew Martin, Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council and one of the region’s largest employers. Martin discussed the school’s new Neuroscience Research Building, a catalyst for world-class brain research, as well as the university’s intentional efforts in shaping WashU for St. Louis.
“The most important thing that we do is that we are constantly attracting the very best scientific talent to come to the university,” Martin said. “Every year, we’re hiring more faculty, and these people are coming to St. Louis, bringing their laboratories here, and they’re also joining the St. Louis community, by bringing life and family here, and investing in St. Louis.”
Newly headquartered in Clayton, Fortune 1000 company Advantage Solutions — an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council — announced this week plans to form a joint venture with L.A. Libations. The move will create a national retail solution to scale and accelerate emerging brands.
A new office at Explore St. Louis capitalizes on the momentum created by the Show MO Act, a tax credit incentive program that’s reigniting the film industry in Missouri. Let by Kelley Hiatt, the St. Louis Film Office will assist productions with filming in the region.
Federal Grant to Fund Urban League Revitalization Project
Thanks to a $750,000 federal grant, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, a GSL Investor Council member, will renovate a 42,500-square-foot business plaza behind the organization’s headquarters in north St. Louis. The center will drive economic opportunity while serving as “a source of hope, stability and show that we are here for the long run,” said Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillan.
