The preliminary decision of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to relocate its Western Headquarters to North St. Louis was a major coup for the various agencies and elected political leaders who championed the site. This will result in a major infusion of investment dollars for the city and hopefully a major victory for residents of North St. Louis.
There are so many obvious benefits that the new location will bring: the city’s retention of a workforce of over 3,000 skilled workers and high-paying jobs, more than 6,000 new construction jobs, and the direct investment of over $1.75 billion to construct the new facility.
The new NGA location has the potential to revitalize a significant geographic area that will result in the area’s population growth. The business, commercial and residential growth will greatly help to stimulate enthusiasm for city living and new investments.
North St. Louis is an ideal site given its location adjacent to the city’s downtown business district. It has several strategic values: a plethora of existing and affordable housing choices, proximity to several academic institutions of higher learning and its skill-based urban workforce.
Less obvious but equally important is the impact that the new facility will have on the lives of residents with this nearly $2 billion investment in North St. Louis. These residents have endured over 50 years of disinvestment and “planned blight” of their communities.
With the NGA ‘s North City location, residents will have access to career-pathway employment opportunities near their homes, and children in nearby communities will have access to better schools, recreational centers and live in safer neighborhoods. As these children mature, many of them are certain to play a meaningful role in the future direction of our city and region.
In order to realize this progressive and forward-thinking vision, African-American political, civic and community leaders must insist and stay vigilant to ensure that African-American businesses receive a proportionate percentage of the contracts for contractors and subcontractors committed to providing quality construction jobs to local residents. We need to accelerate job training in construction, as well as administrative positions and specialized skill development training that will be complementary to the needs of the NGA and other technical businesses that evolve from it.
Equally important is the need to focus on other North Side communities that are ripe for residential and commercial redevelopment. Better Family Life is assiduously working on the Page Corridor redevelopment plan. Our geographical footprint calls for residential and commercial development along a 1.2-mile stretch of Page Boulevard from Union Boulevard to Skinker Boulevard.
This corridor sits between two other very promising redevelopment corridors: Delmar Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. This collective geography is vital to the city’s future development and has the potential to bridge the divide between North and South St. Louis, making for a more dynamic city.
We are currently in the final phase of completing a $16-million renovation of the Better Family Life Cultural, Educational and Business Center located at 5415 Page Blvd. Within the next four months, Better Family Life will start the renovation of three residential properties in this area. We hope to secure an additional 100 properties from the city’s LRA and St. Louis Development Corporation. Once financing is in place, we will develop these properties as affordable and market-rate housing, with a goal of providing existing residents with better housing choices and attracting millennials and new commercial businesses to Page Boulevard.
St. Louis is at a pivotal crossroad in its history. The question is: Will its business, political and civic leaders exercise visionary leadership by taking the bold steps necessary to advocate racially equitable financial investments in neglected impoverished North Side communities, or once again turn back the clock on economic justice and racial equity?
We are optimistic that the time is right for a progressive agenda that includes sustainable economic empowerment of African-American businesses and communities.
Malik Ahmed is CEO of Better Family Life and a board member of the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
