ST. LOUIS 鈥 The city鈥檚 economic development arm is planning a significant internal reorganization to focus on rebuilding neighborhood by neighborhood.
Rather than responding to developers, officials at the 50度灰视频 Development Corp. hope the moves help the office more proactively encourage development 鈥 especially in struggling north and south side neighborhoods.
鈥淎 project manager who is living and breathing this on an everyday basis,鈥 SLDC Director Otis Williams told a panel of city aldermen Wednesday during a presentation on the reorganization. 鈥淭his person will be the one who will interact on a daily basis with the elected officials as well as the neighborhood organizations that are out there.鈥
The shift was called for in SLDC鈥檚 new 鈥,鈥 a strategy released over the summer after an 18-month planning effort. The 445-page plan identifies industry clusters and lays out neighborhood building strategies and actions for SLDC and other policymakers to follow.
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Williams said SLDC鈥檚 draft plan calls for hiring up to eight 鈥済eographic project managers鈥 and one director to oversee them. They would build relationships with aldermen, neighborhood leaders, key businesses and property owners in eight areas: Downtown, the Central Corridor, the southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, the riverfront and one covering the near northside and future home of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
The city鈥檚 real estate development incentive apparatus would remain in place, but Williams said the new neighborhood managers would be the primary point of contact before funneling incentive requests to the SLDC analysts and lawyers that vet them.
Other staffing changes call for a manager to help SLDC assemble contiguous sites for redevelopment by acquiring real estate near its existing properties, many of which are vacant and abandoned. Williams also called for an equity and inclusion manager to expand SLDC鈥檚 minority business assistance efforts beyond monitoring construction projects for minority hiring compliance.
The ability to implement the changes, Williams conceded, are 鈥渂ased on funding.鈥 Unlike other city economic development agencies, which are funded through a mixture of fees and local government revenue, SLDC鈥檚 budget is completely reliant on program fees and federal grants rather than general revenue.
鈥淲e need to have an up close and personal conversation of how we fund economic development in the city of 50度灰视频,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 do it at all now from a general revenue perspective.鈥
The proposed reshuffle also will largely be implemented by Williams鈥 successor. Williams, who has worked at SLDC for more than 20 years, announced he would retire in April after Mayor Lyda Krewson, who is not running for reelection, leaves City Hall.
鈥淲e are focused and dedicated to make sure this is implemented,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淚 trust that my successor, and I know the folks that are currently here are dedicated to try and do that.鈥