This Week: GSL Calls to Pass Legislation to Invest Rams Funds, STL Startup Week Celebrates Metro’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, and More
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GSL: Pass Legislation to Invest Rams Funds in Disinvested Neighborhoods, Downtown
Greater St. Louis, Inc. is calling for swift passage of legislation introduced this week by Alderwoman Pam Boyd, which will ensure that critical and long-overdue investments will be made into disinvested neighborhoods in North and Southeast St. Louis City and Downtown, driving inclusive economic growth for the entire city. The bill continues the call of the business community to use funds from the Rams settlement for investments in disinvested neighborhoods and Downtown.
Boyd’s bill is being cosponsored by Alderpeople Laura Keys, Tom Oldenburg, and Cara Spencer and would invest $232.5 million in infrastructure projects, rehabilitation of high-impact areas and buildings, housing improvement, and support for small businesses and commercial corridors.
Global HOK Stays Local, Signs Lease to Expand Downtown
Global design firm HOK this week reinforced its commitment to Downtown St. Louis. The firm — which announced earlier this year its plans to remain Downtown for the long term — signed a lease for a new, larger space in Peabody Plaza, a 3,000-square-foot expansion that will support its continued growth. A GSL Chair’s Council member, HOK was founded in St. Louis in 1955 and now has offices all over the world.
“We have contributed to the fabric of Downtown St. Louis since our founding in 1955 and look forward to continuing to do so from our new location,” said Eli Hoisington, co-CEO and design principal for HOK’s St. Louis studio. “Our new home will be a dynamic and creative workplace for our staff and a welcoming hub for our clients and collaborators from around the region.”
Plans by Washington University, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council, to redevelop the former Goodwill building in Cortex Innovation Center into lab and office space for startups — which could potentially join WashU in efforts to lead the world in neurological research — have been approved by a key St. Louis City commission and now advance to the full Board of Aldermen. The approval will provide $4 million in financing toward the university’s $93 million budget for the project. Earlier this year, WashU opened what leaders describe it as the largest neuroscience research building in the country and one of the highest concentrations of neuroscientists in the world.
GSL's VP of Strategy Lakesha Mathis walks Startup Week attendees through Supply STL, GSL's online tool that advances supplier diversity by facilitating collaboration between small businesses and anchor institutions. Learn more: GreaterSTLinc.com/SupplySTL
St. Louis’ entrepreneurial ecosystem is in the spotlight this week, as the region’s annual STL Startup Week showcases the breadth and depth of the local startup community, critical to building up the small business ecosystem called for in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. By way of our STLMade initiative, GSL was proud to serve as a sponsor alongside some of our investors, including Anders CPAs + Advisors, Husch Blackwell, Lewis Rice LLC, and more.
New Initiative Hopes to Attract Veterans to St. Louis
A partner at Thompson Coburn LLP — an executive-level investor of the GSL Chair’s Council — has founded a new initiative to attract, retain, and hire veterans in St. Louis. Founded by Shaun Broeker, a U.S. Army veteran, “Welcome Home STL” was inspired by the work of the St. Louis Mosaic Project to grow St. Louis through the support of foreign-born populations.
BBC in STL: UK Radio Program Showcases St. Louis Talent
The UK’s BBC traveled across the pond this fall to tour the metro, highlighting St. Louis artists and musicians during a live recording of British radio’s “The Arts Hour.” The segment gave international attention to some of our local performers, showcasing the worldclass talent that resides here.
Missouri Botanical Garden Shines in Recent Spotlight
With a new president and visitor center, the Missouri Botanical Garden — a member of the GSL Chair's Council — has garnered recent attention. Architecture magazine Metropolis recently explored the design of the new, 94,000-square-foot Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center as the “front door to one of the nation’s oldest botanical gardens in continuous operation.” Its exploration included a look at the café and restaurant by STLMade architects Tao + Lee. And in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio, soon-to-be Garden President Lúcia Lohmann discusses why she wanted to return to where her career began.
“Just Good Business”: Midwest BankCentre Investing in Dellwood Community
At its new location in R&R Marketplace in Dellwood, Midwest BankCentre is building relationships to help build the community. The St. Louis-based bank is disrupting the typical banking model, offering education, capital, and sustained commitment to serve and grow St. Louis. “I’m not on this because it’s a social crusade,” said Chairman and CEO Orvin Kimbrough. “This is an investment. In fact, for any bank to be sustainable in any community, it has to be profitable. And you can’t be apologetic about that.”
In the growing Delmar Maker District and beyond, restaurants, maker and retail spaces, and nonprofits are thriving, ushering in a new era for the neighborhood.
