Following the historic tornado which left more than $1.6 billion damage in the region – much of it in the city of St. Louis – the St. Louis Development Corp., is assisting the city in assessing business conditions.
If your business sustained damage, please complete a Business Assessment survey which can be found at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/tornado/
“Our hearts and minds are with those affected by Friday’s tornado,” said Deion Broxton, SLDC vice president of communications and public affairs.
“SLDC has been in constant contact with the Mayor’s Office and the needs of residents and those in the business community. We published a business assessment form online to assess the damage inflicted on the businesses in St. Louis. This information will be shared with the mayor’s office to determine solutions and needs going forward for businesses.
SLDC is also canvassing neighborhoods in search of businesses impacted by the tornado and is collaborating with regional partners on the ongoing efforts to help the business community.
A week prior to the storm, the SLDC approved $100,000 in support for the Downtown Retail Incentive Program.
The program provides grants to eligible businesses in downtown St. Louis to make interior and exterior upgrades, cover up to a year of rent for businesses that default on lease agreements, create pop-up shops in vacant storefronts, and implement outdoor seating and displays to attract foot traffic.
Grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000 for each business. Priority will be given to retail businesses like restaurants, bookstores, apparel stores, and coffee shops along high-traffic areas like Washington Avenue, Locust Street, and Laclede’s Landing.
In 2024, SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. partnered to provide $350,000 to start the program. Eleven businesses received a total of $303,300. The $100,000 allocated for the 2025 program.