Incentive Program Inspires Downtown Revitalization, Local Leaders Showcase St. Louis Agtech Innovation at Global Summit, and More
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Incentive Program Inspires Downtown Revitalization
$350K in Grants Will Benefit Businesses Like Brew Tulum, Opening on the Landing
The landscape of Downtown St. Louis could soon change, thanks in part to a new retail incentive program sponsored by Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the St. Louis Development Corporation. The program offers up to $350,000 in grants to encourage street-level activity, fund improvements, and activate pop-up shops, all with the goal of revitalizing Downtown. The STL 2030 Jobs Plan calls restoring the core of St. Louis vital to inclusive economic growth for the metro.
“Downtown St. Louis is a dynamic market, but it needs more retail activity,” Kurt Weigle, GSL’s Chief Downtown Officer. “The incentives on which we are partnering with SLDC are designed to attract high-quality businesses of all sizes to the heart of the St. Louis metro."
The program received an overwhelming number of submissions, and some businesses, like Brew Tulum — which is opening both a coffee shop and restaurant on Laclede’s Landing — are already pre-approved for grants.
Local Leaders Showcase St. Louis Agtech Innovation at Global Summit
Building on efforts to bridge innovation between the St. Louis region and Latin America, a delegation of 10 St. Louis leaders this week traveled to São Paulo, Brazil, for the World Agri-Tech South America Summit. The cross-sector group, which includes representatives from BioSTL, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center — both members of GSL’s Investor Council — World Trade Center St. Louis, and more, showcased the region’s strength in agtech and geospatial technologies under the STLMade banner.
New Director to Lead Data and Analytics for Taylor Geospatial Consortium
A new hire at Taylor Geospatial Institute will help build out shared data and analytic services to help stakeholders get to market more quickly with new ideas. TGI announced this week that Mark Korver, former Worldwide Tech Lead for Geospatial at Amazon Web Services, is the group’s new Director of Geospatial Data and Analytics, bringing global experience to the eight-institution geospatial consortium, initiated by a legacy gift from GSL Founding Chair Andrew C. Taylor.
UMSL Camp Introduces High Schoolers to Geospatial Tech
For the second year, a summer camp at the University of Missouri St. Louis, a member of the GSL Chair’s Council, exposed high school students to emerging technologies — and introduced them to the possibility of careers in the geospatial sector, an emerging industry key to economic growth for the metro.
Mosaic Project Launches Effort to Attract and Retain Latinos in St. Louis
The Mosaic Project, part of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and the World Trade Center St. Louis, this month launched STL Para Ti, an initiative designed to connect the Latino community more deeply to resources and information that will help them work, live, and engage more fully in St. Louis.
"We talk about this as both a resource and a movement to instill pride, strengthen, and grow our community with an eye toward retaining Latinos in the region," said Betsy Cohen, Executive Director. "Our long-term goal is that the more they feel welcomed, seen and heard, the more likely they will stay and tell their friends and family to give St. Louis a chance."
Advantage Solutions officially has a new home in the St. Louis metro. Led by Dave Peacock, long an active member of St. Louis’ civic-minded business community, the Fortune 1000 firm announced last fall that it was moving from California to Clayton and opened its new headquarters this spring. Peacock cited the metro’s universities, affordability, talent pool, and central location as reasons for the move.
The skilled trades are making a comeback around the country and in the St. Louis metro. From GSL Chair’s Council Member St. Louis Community College to Ranken Technical College and beyond, students are reaping the benefits of lower cost programs and good-paying jobs — good news for STL2030 Jobs Plan-identified key growth industries like advanced manufacturing.
Headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, design company PGAV — an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council — has developed some of the world’s major attractions, including the three largest aquariums. But the company is shaping experiences close to home too, including in an updated exhibit at the Missouri History Museum — a GSL Investor Council Member — that helps audiences relate to the 1904 World’s Fair in a new way.
Rick Shang’s Vulpes Corp has the potential to upend the U.S. chemical manufacturing industry, from environmental and supply chain perspectives; creating U.S. jobs while introducing greener technologies.
