👏 SLDC is pleased to announce T. Christopher Peoples will join the team as its Vice President of Place-Based Initiatives! Peoples will lead SLDC's neighborhood implementation, corridor revitalization and small business empowerment strategies across the City of St. Louis. With more than 20 years of experience in community-based economic development, he most recently served as director of equity and economic impact at @GreatRiversSTL and as acting executive director of Brickline North Community Development Corporation. We're excited to welcome Peoples in November and look forward to the experience and leadership he'll bring to SLDC's neighborhood economic development efforts. 📰 Read the full announcement: developstlouis.org/news-medi…

🌱 Join the Green City Coalition, Throwing and Growing Foundation, and Sundy Whiteside Memorial Garden this Saturday, Oct. 24, to celebrate a year of community progress. The celebration will feature native flower planting, a shotput competition, the unveiling of new signs, food, music and more. Stop by to see how the vacant lot transformed into a community space and celebrate the partnerships helping strengthen St. Louis! ✅ Saturday, Oct. 24 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. ✅ 5107 Robin Ave., St. Louis 🌼 Interested in helping plant native flowers? RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F…

🌐 From reaching more than 300 students through its College and Tech Tour to helping more than 300 people complete digital literacy training, ConnectSTL is working to establish a more digitally inclusive St. Louis. Building on this momentum, SLDC and ConnectSTL invite city residents and local partners to attend the "Community, Culture & Impact Celebration" to recognize recent achievements, strengthen partnerships and explore what's next for digital access and opportunity. Join us for a keynote from Dr. Kelvin Adams, president of the @St. Louis Community Foundation, along with community and founder stories, a panel discussion, an Innovation Gallery and networking opportunities. 📆 Thursday, Oct. 22 | 3–7 p.m. 📍 Saint Louis University | Center for Global Citizenship, C. S. Huh Auditorium 🔗 Register here: eventbrite.com/e/connectstl-… Questions? Contact Tanjii Cole, SLDC digital equity manager, at [email protected]

👏 Congratulations to Vivial Lopez, Business Services Specialist at SLDC's Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC), on being recognized as one of St. Louis Small Business Monthly’s 2026 Top Veterans in the Workplace! A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Vivial brings leadership, adaptability and a commitment to service to her role supporting St. Louis entrepreneurs. Her passion for helping business owners achieve their goals and build confidence guides her work at the NEEC. We’re proud to celebrate Vivial and grateful for the impact she continues to make in the St. Louis community. 🔗 Read her full feature: sbmon.com/special-sections/s…

🏠 Exciting news for affordable homeownership in St. Louis! SLDC is thrilled to be part of Bring St. Louis Home, a collaboration with the St. Louis Community Foundation, 4theVille, Invest STL and the St. Louis Community Credit Union. The coalition has been named one of 10 finalists for Scaling Pathways to Homeownership, a $25 million philanthropic Open Call by Capital One and managed by Lever For Change. Selected from more than 500 applicants nationwide, our proposal aims to expand affordable homeownership in North St. Louis through innovative, community-driven financing solutions, land reuse and homebuyer support. As a finalist, Bring St. Louis Home will receive $200,000 in initial funding and technical assistance to refine the proposal before the five final awardees are selected and announced in spring 2027. Learn more about the finalists: bizjournals.com/stlouis/news…

The St. Louis Metro Port System remains the nation’s most efficient inland port system, according to the latest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data. SLDC is proud to staff the St. Louis City Port Authority, which plays an important role in this regional freight network by helping connect river, rail and road access to support freight movement, investment and economic growth along the city’s riverfront. The St. Louis City Port Authority manages approximately 45 leases with shippers and carriers along the city’s 19-mile riverfront, owns the Municipal River Terminal and is also preparing an 11.6-acre site on the south riverfront for future multimodal development. Read more: ajot.com/news/st-louis-regio…

🗺️🤝 A community-guided roadmap for six North St. Louis neighborhoods has been formally adopted by the City of St. Louis Planning Commission. This week, SLDC presented Project Connect’s OurPlan initiative, helping move forward a long-term vision for St. Louis Place, Old North St. Louis, Jeff-Vander-Lou, Carr Square, Columbus Square and Hyde Park. Led by SLDC Neighborhood Transformation Managers Curtis Griggs and Melissa Garcia, the plan reflects years of resident engagement and focuses on housing and vacancy, economic development, transportation, arts and culture, historic preservation, sustainability and more. As Curtis shared with @stlpublicradio, OurPlan will serve as a launchpad for collaboration as partners work to align resources, identify opportunities and advance neighborhood revitalization in North St. Louis. Read more: stlpr.org/government-politic…

Peace Park’s community celebration is back on the calendar! 🎉🍂 SLDC and the Green City Coalition are partnering with the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) for the September Kickback at Peace Park on Saturday, Sept. 19. The event is open to everyone and will feature community resources from dozens of OVP partners, along with free ice cream, live music, grilling and other family-friendly activities. Join us as we celebrate the continued momentum at Peace Park, where the first phase of revitalization is already serving as a neighborhood gathering place in College Hill. 📆 Saturday, Sept. 19 | 2 to 5 p.m. 📍 Peace Park | E. Grand and Strodtman Place

Homeownership can create stability, opportunity and a deeper sense of belonging in St. Louis. Programs like SLDC's HomeSTL are helping make that future possible for first-time homebuyers across the city. The strong demand reflects the need for resources that make homeownership more accessible and help build a stronger, more inclusive city. Read more from @ksdknews about how HomeSTL is helping families in St. Louis build a stronger future: ksdk.com/article/news/local/… 🚨 Please be advised that SLDC is no longer accepting reservation requests for the HomeSTL Downpayment Assistance Program, as all funds are fully reserved as of 8/31/26. If you are a participating lender and have already submitted a reservation request, your client has been placed on a waiting list. Should reserved funds become available, we will only consider buyers from the waiting list who are under contract for the purchase of a home with a closing date on or before September 30, 2026. These requests will be processed in the date order their eligibility packet was completed.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding has helped the St. Louis Land Reutilization Authority (LRA), staffed by SLDC, tackle vacancy and accelerate demolition, lot maintenance and property reuse work across the city. As this once-in-a-generation investment comes to a close, SLDC is proud to highlight how the funding has supported the LRA’s work. With support from ARPA funding, the LRA has: ✔️ Demolished more than 500 dilapidated homes through its Demolition Program ✔️ Maintained and cleaned more than 2,100 vacant lots through its Beautification Program ✔️ Reduced its inventory from roughly 10,000 parcels to about 9,000 ✔️ Invested $6.5 million and transferred up to 50 parcels to support 50 new homes in North St. Louis Jasmine Cannon with the LRA spoke with KMOV about how this work helps clear the way for future development, neighborhood investment and new partnerships. Learn more about ARPA funding’s impact in St. Louis: firstalert4.com/2026/08/22/f…