GAPF Purchases Millennium Hotel, The Fellows Experience Graduation, and New Bipartisan Caucus to Position the Midwest for Strategic Federal Investment
Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here
GAPF Purchases Millennium Hotel, Says Site Will Connect Downtown with Arch Grounds, Generate “Sense of Pride”
The Gateway Arch Park Foundation announced that it is under contract for the purchase of the Millennium Hotel property, located at 200 S. 4th St. The property has been vacant since 2014 and is in a crucial part of efforts to revitalize Downtown St. Louis. Its redevelopment will ensure the area is active and vibrant, building on current momentum Downtown.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. and St. Louis Development Corporation will collaborate with GAPF to redevelop the site and reshape the landscape around the Gateway Arch.
In a recent interview with St. Louis Magazine, GAPF Executive Director Ryan McClure discusses his organization’s purchase of the property, noting its “unique position to have influence over what happens to this site, to make sure that it’s an economic driver for the region, and also to ensure that it complements the Arch and better connects the Arch to the city.”
New Loan Program Helps Small Businesses Access Capital
Missouri Technology Corporation is partnering with nonprofit financial broker Justine Petersen to steward $95 million in U.S. Department of the Treasury funds through the IgniteMO Small Business Loan Program. The program will help socially and economically disadvantaged Missourians who own and control businesses access capital — driving investment and economic growth in St. Louis and beyond. GSL has helped secure millions of dollars in state funding for MTC to boost innovation and entrepreneurial growth in the metro.
$1B in WashU Research Funding Drives Regional Economic Growth
Research funding to Washington University in St. Louis — an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council — has nearly doubled in the past decade, surpassing $1 billion this year, thanks to the school’s world-class research faculty and the quality and urgency of its research, the school said this week. Such a significant amount of funding, WashU Chancellor Andrew Martin explained, benefits not just the university, but sparks economic growth throughout the metro — every $1 million in research funding creates 11 local jobs, according to data.
GSL's Fellows Experience Celebrates 18th Graduating Class
Last week, GSL celebrated the graduation of the 18th cohort of the Fellows Experience, its initiative devoted to the growth and cultivation of diverse mid-career professionals. The Fellows Experience addresses the interests and challenges professionals of color face as they work to advance their careers.
“I was blessed to be a member of Cohort 4 because it equipped me to, within just a few years, be the kind of leader that Behavioral Health Response needed during that time and to now be the kind of DEI leader that is needed in our St. Louis community,” said Pat Coleman, a founding member of the GSL Board of Directors who participated in the Fellows Experience in 2009-2010 and now serves as Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Alberici Constructors, Inc.
Afghan Business Owners Thrive, Thanks to Outreach Initiative
Grants awarded by the Afghan Outreach Initiative are already making a difference in St. Louis. The initiative, founded in partnership by the International Institute of St. Louis, a GSL Investor Council member, and attorney and philanthropist Jerry Schlichter, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council, has now awarded a total of eight, $15,000 grants, giving Afghan immigrants the chance to start businesses and support their new lives in St. Louis.
Growing Global Event Showcases the St. Louis Impact of Global Talent
A sold-out crowd gathered for Growing Global 2024, an event hosted by the World Trade Center St. Louis and the Mosaic Project, exploring how global talent can help fuel growth in St. Louis. The featured panel included local and national leaders, including GSL CEO Jason Hall; Andrea Faccio, President and Chief Growth Officer, Nestlé Purina North America, an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council; and Jon Baselice, Vice President, Immigration Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Bipartisan Caucus Positions Midwest for Strategic Federal Investment
A new bipartisan initiative hopes to strengthen the Midwest’s competitive edge. Formally launched last week, the Midwest Crossroads Congressional Caucus comprises U.S. House of Representatives in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Members will focus on addressing regional issues and championing initiatives that promote economic growth, innovation, and connectivity in the Heartland. GSL joined fellow members of the Heartland Civic Collaboration to advocate for and endorse the new caucus.
The Association for Corporate Growth St. Louis, in partnership with 39 North, will play host to the 2024 ACG AgTech Conference in St. Louis Oct. 21 - 22. The event, a national convening of agtech operating companies and investors in the agtech space, presents a look at investment opportunities within the $24.08 billion global agtech market — a key growth industry identified by the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. Early bird registration ends Sept. 30.
Federal Funds Flow to AFG Facility in Warren County
American Foods Group, which announced in 2021 its plan to build a new facility in Warren County, bringing with it more than 1,300 quality jobs, a $450 million investment, and $1 billion in economic impact, has received a $10 million grant from the USDA. The funding is part of the $325 million Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program launched under the American Rescue Plan Act, which aims to expand processing capacity and strengthen the food supply chain. AFG’s Warren County facility will open early next year.
Angel Recci has a vision to elevate Spanish-language television, music, and live entertainment in the St. Louis area — and piece by piece, he’s making it a reality.
