Downtown St. Louis is stepping up to the plate. ⚾ As the St. Louis Cardinals bring fans back to the city, restaurants are seeing new opportunities for growth & fresh energy.
See how downtown businesses are building momentum & what it means for St. Louis' growth: https://ow.ly/QcxN50YLgOa
Participate in SLDC's certification trainings & tap into more opportunities in the region:
Today @ 10 am: Getting Certified with SLDC: Understanding How to Complete Your M/WBE Application | April 21 @ 10 am: M/WBE Certification 101: What You Need & How to Apply
Details: https://ow.ly/VQiv50YIoH4
Winland Foods is investing in South St. Louis. 👏 The $38.5 million facility expansion will create 25 new jobs and enhance production and packaging capacity.
🏭 Read more from KMOV: www.firstalert4.com/2026/04/10/south-city-pa...
Tomorrow, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and partners will come together to replant 350 trees lost in the 2025 tornado.
SLDC encourages opportunities where residents volunteer and help restore shared spaces.
🗓️ Saturday, April 11 | 12:30 to 3 p.m.
✅ RSVP and volunteer: www.eventbrite.com/e/ofallon-pa...
Get involved in tornado recovery efforts and earn up to $25/hour through SLATE's Disaster Recovery Jobs Program. This program connects residents to temporary, paid jobs with local partners like the Land Reutilization Authority, while supporting community recovery efforts.
https://ow.ly/qS3W50YGM1W
Bidding & Estimating Academy: Part 1 of the 3-part Academy begins April 21. Business owners & contractors will learn the principles of profitable estimating, including defining scope, understanding overhead & interpreting project specifications.
Details & register: https://ow.ly/mLzw50YySZX
Looking for more opportunities in the regional economy? Participate in SLDC's series of certification trainings starting this month. Through our MWBE Certification Program, firms have the chance to bid on federal, state & local government contracts. Learn more: https://ow.ly/GjzZ50YCsHi
Join The Futuremakers Club, SLDC and partners this Thursday for the first "Futuremakers Forum: A Civic & Social Salon."
📅 Thursday, April 2 | 4–6:30 p.m. (program begins at 5 p.m.)
📍 21c Museum Hotel (1528 Locust Street)
🔗 RSVP and learn more:
www.eventbrite.com/e/futuremake...
April is Financial Literacy Month! Join us at the #NEEC April 7 , 8 or 9 for How to Train Your Bookkeeper with Quickbooks. The sessions will cover understanding your cash flow, avoiding costly bookkeeping mistakes & make better decisions using accurate reports.
Register: https://ow.ly/3uVh50YBUuu
Welcoming a new chapter for St. Louis!
Yesterday, we proudly celebrated the swearing-in of Stephen Westbrooks as SLDC's new President and CEO.
We look forward to his leadership, vision and the continued momentum to advancing inclusive growth and economic opportunity across the city.
Celebrating 24 years of impact. 💜
Thanks to SLDC's outgoing President and CEO Otis Williams for more than two decades of leadership, dedication and service to the St. Louis community. Your legacy will continue to shape the city for years to come. We wish you a well-earned and fulfilling retirement!
Part 1 of the 3-part Bidding & Estimating Academy begins April 21. Business owners & contractors will move beyond guesswork to a structured, repeatable process to accurately calculate costs, assess risks & create professional-grade bids & estimates.
Details & register: https://ow.ly/yl3y50YySYf
New incentive changes that reward affordable housing and community-focused development are advancing in St. Louis!
📰 Read more: www.stlmag.com/business/lcra-eyes-chang...
SLDC and Greater St. Louis Inc. are proud to support local businesses as they grow and strengthen economic activity through the Downtown Retail Incentive program.
Learn more in the The St. Louis American article: https://ow.ly/KT9g50YwweN
NEEC will be closed tomorrow, Friday, 3/ 20 for STLCC's spring holiday. Regular business hours will resume on Monday, 3/23. Email rowane@stlouis-mo.gov for immediate assistance.
Celebrate with The Ville this Saturday at the MLK Cultural Boulevard Block Party! 🎉
⏰ Saturday, March 21 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
📌 4144 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
🔗 Learn more at www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-cultural-blvd-bloc...
SLDC is teaming up with Dutchtown South Community Corporation, Dutchtown Main Streets & St. Joseph Housing Initiative for the 6th annual homeownership event, Go South Side!
📅 Wed., March 25, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
📍St. Mary's South Side Catholic High School
More info: http://dutchtownstl.org/gosouthside
Love Bank Park shows how community vision and strategic reuse of vacant land can create a vibrant public space in St. Louis.
Learn more about the community effort that brought it to life in this recent article: landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/love-bank-park
SLDC has teamed up with Great Rivers Greenway and Brickline North Community Development Corporation to ensure equitable economic development along the Brickline Greenway.
Learn more in our blog:
www.developstlouis.org/blog/Blog%20...
SLDC team members Tanjii Cole, Digital Equity Manager, and Gage McCallister, Broadband Analyst, recently accepted the the National Digital Inclusion Alliance 2025 Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazer award in Chicago on behalf of the City of St. Louis. https://ow.ly/tGb450Yqq8e
Join SLDC for the ConnectSTL Q1 Network Meeting on Friday, March 20 at 1 p.m. at Spark Coworking! This free event brings together regional employers, funders, workforce leaders, nonprofits and innovators working to advance the digital and tech ecosystem. https://ow.ly/Ru0R50Yqq0A
Today and every day, we celebrate the women of SLDC. From supporting small businesses to advancing transformative development projects, their leadership, expertise and dedication play a vital role in building a stronger, more equitable future for St. Louis.
Check out the story from @firstalert4.com: www.firstalert4.com/2026/03/05/a...
Congratulations to Otis Williams, SLDC Interim CEO and Susan Taylor, St. Louis Port Authority Port Director, who have been named to St. Louis Magazine's St. Louis Business 500, which recognizes the metro area’s most impactful, innovative and inspirational leaders.
https://ow.ly/lxrT50Ypgho
New energy is coming to Downtown St. Louis! Today, SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. announced the latest businesses receiving support through the Downtown Retail Incentive Program.
Read more: greaterstlinc.com/newsroom/increasing-vibr...
SLDC taps veteran community champion Stephen Westbrooks as its next president and CEO!
A St. Louis native, Stephen focuses on expanding access to investment and strengthening communities. He also serves and has served on several boards and councils.
Stephen is expected to begin on March 30, 2026.
KSDK recently spotlighted SLDC’s first North St. Louis Business Collective event on March 2, where entrepreneurs connected with trusted local partners and gained practical guidance on certifications, taxes, insurance and more.
https://ow.ly/f4GB50Yp8Fx
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis is launching its next Small Business Success Program cohort on April 7.
The application deadline is Friday, March 20. Apply here: https://shorturl.at/R9olt
Formerly the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, the Northside Movement Center has been transformed through a $7 million renovation supported in part by New Markets Tax Credits from SLDC.
Learn more in this story from St. Louis Public Radio: https://ow.ly/WV7I50YofcL
A reminder for St. Louis property and business owners impacted by the May 16, 2025, tornado: The deadline to apply for Private Property Assistance through the City's STL Recovers initiative is Saturday, February 28.
Learn more and apply online at https://app.stlrecovers.com/