ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
FEBRUARY
LATEST STL PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Urban Training Center to be Built on LCRA Property Facility to train hundreds of individuals a year
After issuing a request for proposals to redevelop land owned in Wellston, Mo., the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (LCRA) has announced that the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) will build an Urban Training Center at Plymouth Industrial Park, located at 6440 Page Avenue. The proposal for the new facility from the LiUNA’s Missouri and Kansas Laborers District Council (MKLDC) was approved by the LCRA’s Board of Commissioners on Nov. 19.
Created in partnership with the Associated General Contractors (AGC), SITE Improvement Association and the Mason Contractors Association, this state-of-the-art facility will strengthen the region’s construction workforce.
Located near the Wellston MetroLink stop and supported by multiple bus routes, the 40,000-square-foot Urban Training Center, which sits on a 15.65-acre campus, is expected to train up to 500 apprentices, journeymen or journeywomen a year.
The Training Center will feature both indoor and outdoor training areas, allowing the Laborers to offer a comprehensive curriculum modeled after the programs at the High Hill Laborers Training Facility in Montgomery County. Courses will include concrete placement, scaffold building, safety certifications, solar training, environmental remediation, pipeline work, asbestos abatement, elevation control, GPS and drone training, along with other core Laborer skills needed on today’s construction sites.
Groundbreaking is planned for the spring of 2026. Once completed, the Training Center will serve Laborers across the eastern half of Missouri, including Locals 42, 110, 660, 662, 840, 955 and 1104. The facility will include an open intake window for applicants, helping recruit and develop a strong local workforce for the future of St. Louis.
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Jeff Colona Serves as Panelist at Novogradac Conference
NMTC director discusses best practices for community development entities
In January, Jeff Colona, director of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) at St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), attended the Novogradac 2026 NMTC Conference at Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, Calif. While in attendance, Colona joined other NMTC industry professionals to speak on a panel at the conference. The other panelists were Beth Fore, vice president of NMTC investments at SDS Capital Group, and Laurel Tinsley, tax partner at Cherry Bekaert.
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Rodney Crim Participates in FOCUS St. Louis Panel Discussion
Area leaders discuss the power of presence in front of large audience
On Feb. 3, Rodney Crim, the CEO and president of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), participated in a panel discussion called “The Power of Presence: Leaders Inspiring What’s Next,” hosted by FOCUS St. Louis. The conversation took place at Farr Auditorium in the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center at Missouri Botanical Garden in front of a standing room only audience.
Joining Crim on stage were: Tommye Austin, Ph.D., MBA, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president and system chief nurse executive at BJC HealthCare; Neosha Franklin, chief executive officer of the Community Impact Network; and Natissia Small, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.
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HRIF Provided $50 Million for New Markets Tax Credits
Allocation matches highest amount given to STL Partnership subsidiary
Heartland Regional Investment Fund, LLC (HRIF), a subsidiary of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), was recently allocated $50 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) through the U.S. Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). This matches the largest allocation HRIF has received in its 15 years of existence when it also received $50 million in 2020.
HRIF provides financing to projects in distressed communities surrounding the managing members—the City of St. Charles, Southwest Illinois Development Authority and STL Partnership. Eligible areas HRIF serves are St. Louis County and St. Charles County in Missouri and Bond, Clinton, Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois.
City of Wellston, County Partners Launch Major Housing Redevelopment in Lulu Heights
City of Wellston, County LCRA and Port Authority working jointly with Community Impact Network, Beyond Housing and McBride Homes to deliver 178 new homes
In partnership with the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis, the City of Wellston and the St. Louis County Port Authority announce a major residential redevelopment in the Lulu Heights neighborhood that will bring 178 new homes to Wellston, Mo., and surrounding areas. The project follows a joint request for proposals issued by the City of Wellston, LCRA and the Port Authority for publicly controlled land in Lulu Heights. After a competitive process, the public partners selected Community Impact Network, Beyond Housing and McBride Homes to carry out the development.
Approximately 25.08 acres of land owned by the City of Wellston, LCRA and the Port Authority will be conveyed to the development team for construction of 148 detached and 30 attached single-family homes.
CRE Consulting Team Shares Growth Opportunity Ideas for Spanish Lake
Public transit access, land leasing and capital support for first-time homebuyers among recommendations
With the anticipated public opening of Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park in 2027, the Counselors of Real Estate (CRE)—known for providing real estate analysis and action plans for municipalities—recently examined potential economic development opportunities in Spanish Lake, Mo., in unincorporated St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding area. Their visit to the region took place as part of Transforming Neighborhoods, a technical assistance program from the National Association of REALTORS®, through which St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership) and St. Louis REALTORS® hosted nationwide members of CRE from Oct. 13–15. CRE’s subsequently released report recommended public transit access, long-term land leasing, capital programming for first-time homebuyers and a host of other means to help foster growth.
The CRE team interviewed elected officials, regional planners, economic development leaders, university leadership, community stakeholders and representatives from the WildCare Park and other sectors to examine opportunities to build up the Spanish Lake areas.
WildCare Park is a world-class safari park and conservation center that is being built on 425 acres near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Economists estimate that over 10 years, WildCare Park will generate more than $660 million in regional economic impact.
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RESOURCES & EVENTS
Events
March 11
AI Basics for Start-ups
March 26
Multicultural Spring Job Fair
April 8
Navigating St. Louis: Connecting Entrepreneurs to Local Resources (Panel Discussion)
St. Louis Chambers of Commerce Resources
IN THE NEWS
St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune: Laborers to build Urban Training Center in Wellston
St. Louis Business Journal: Jeff Colona discusses HRIF’s $50 million NMTC allocation
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Tim Nowak interviewed about African-owned businesses growing in St. Louis
Fox 2 TV: 178 new homes coming to Wellston and Pagedale