🚲 Earlier this month, the Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC), powered by SLDC, joined @GreatRiversSTL for the Brickline Greenway Spring Avenue Block Party and preview event in Grand Center — celebrating continued investment in spaces designed for movement, connection and community. 🌳
Alongside @camstl , @bbbsemo , @PulitzerArts , Brickline North Community Development Corporation and other neighborhood organizations and local partners, the event highlighted the newest expansion of the Brickline Greenway from Page Ave. to Lindell Blvd., expected to begin construction later this fall.
Projects like this reflect a broader effort towards helping create safer, more accessible routes for people to walk, bike and roll to jobs, transit, businesses and community destinations across St. Louis. 💚
💼➡️🔗 In recognition of National Bike to Work Day, learn more about the Spring Avenue Brickline Greenway project through the link in bio.
The 3-part Bidding & Estimating Academy starts on June 16. An essential program for business owners & contractors who want to master the process of pricing projects for maximum profitability & competitiveness, participants will move beyond guesswork to learn a structured, repeatable process to accurately calculate costs, assess risks & create professional bids & estimates.
Details & Registration @ 🔗 in bio.
💡 Innovation starts with opportunity, and T-REX (@trex.stlouis ) is helping provide that to entrepreneurs in St. Louis looking to turn ideas into action and impact.
Supported by SLDC, the nonprofit organization provides affordable space, resources and connections with one simple mission: help entrepreneurs grow, thrive and succeed in the city.
“Our goal is to ensure that anyone who wants to establish a business here has access to the support they need to do it,” said T-REX President and CEO Jesse Winters. “When that happens, the startups being built in St. Louis today have the potential to become the unicorns of tomorrow.”
🎥 Hear from Jesse about the power of partnerships and why St. Louis is a place where entrepreneurs can thrive.
Read more: link in bio.
A predictable and transparent development process is essential to attracting projects that move St. Louis City forward.
In a recent interview with the St. Louis Business Journal, SLDC President and CEO Stephen Westbrooks discussed the importance of creating a more consistent development process across the city. A key part of building a stronger development ecosystem, he said, is ensuring developers understand expectations upfront and experience consistency throughout the life of a project.
Read the full article through the link in bio.
Peace Park’s first phase of revitalization is complete! 🌳
To celebrate the Phase 1 grand opening of Peace Park, College Hill community members and the Green City Coalition — a partnership between SLDC, the City of St. Louis, Missouri Department of Conservation and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District — are collaborating with the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) to host an OVP Kickback event.
Enjoy free food, music, activities and community resources focused on behavioral health, conflict mediation, trauma support, youth programming and more. The event will also recognize the one-year anniversary of the May 16 tornado.
Built through partnership and neighborhood vision, Peace Park is transforming once-vacant land into a vibrant community green space. This gathering is an opportunity to reflect, reconnect and continue supporting recovery while celebrating the future of College Hill.
📆 May 16 | 2 to 5 p.m.
📍 Peace Park | E. Grand and Strodtman Place (2024 E. Grand)
CERTIFICATION TRAINING: Join SLDC's May training sessions to learn about the MWBE Certification Program and how it can help create more opportunities for your company in the regional economy.
Details @ 🔗 in bio.
April across St. Louis, at a glance! 💙
Stay in the loop—sign up for SLDC's monthly newsletter for updates on projects, partnerships and progress. #LinkInBio
A new investment is moving into North St. Louis. 🚚🤝
Local law firm Timmerman Law LLC is relocating to the Penrose neighborhood with a vision to bring new energy and opportunity to an area impacted by the May 2025 tornado. With approval to acquire four lots through the Land Reutilization Authority (LRA), which is staffed by SLDC, attorney Mark Timmerman plans to transform underutilized land into a community-centered business hub—potentially including space for shops and a small business incubator.
Timmerman said he wants children growing up in Penrose to experience consistent improvements in their neighborhood and access to resources, while also creating space for new businesses to open, from neighborhood entrepreneurs and beyond, to bring jobs and opportunity.
This move is an example of how LRA leverages strategic land reuse to support neighborhood recovery and help restore economic activity in historically disinvested areas.
📰 Read more. #LinkInBio
📸 Photo courtesy of @KSDKNews
👏 North St. Louis is seeing continued investment in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood.📍
Sensient Colors is expanding its St. Louis facility to grow its natural color production, meeting rising demand for cleaner and more transparent ingredients. Plus:
🔹 28,000 square feet of specialized production space added to its existing facility
🔹 More than 84 new jobs expected
This week, the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board (EEZB), supported by SLDC, approved tax abatement for the project, marking an important step in progressing economic opportunity and strengthening the region’s food manufacturing sector.
Read more from @Stltoday . #LinkInbio
EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC: Join us on May 6th or 20th for an Expungement Informational Clinic where attendees can explore expungement options in the State of Missouri for non-violent & non-sexual charges.
Learn more @ 🔗 in bio.
In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, the Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC), powered by SLDC, proudly launched the inaugural Stacey Fowler Financial Forum, honoring the legacy of a leader who championed access, education and opportunity for St. Louis entrepreneurs.
Throughout the week, entrepreneurs engaged in programming, training and networking opportunities designed to strengthen their businesses and financial futures. The forum concluded with a pitch competition in collaboration with Pitch STL, featuring:
📈 20 business pitches, including certified small businesses
💵 $6,000 in prize funding awarded to four winners
💬 Real-time feedback from industry experts
🤝 Opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and community partners
Additionally, the forum marked a new partnership between the NEEC and CIBC to support small businesses.
Shoutout to the NEEC staff — manager Nicole Dotson, business service specialist Vivial Lopez and administrative assistant Eloise Rowan — for leading this effort. This annual forum will continue to carry forward Stacey Fowler’s commitment to financial literacy and small business empowerment across St. Louis.
Looking for more opportunities in the regional economy? Participate in SLDC's series of certification trainings. The next session, Maintaining Your Certification: Annual Requirements (NCAs) and Common Pitfalls, is May 12.
Details @ 🔗in bio.
