The announcement by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency that they had narrowed their nearly two-year-long site-selection process to six sites, including the former Pruitt-Igoe and surrounding land in the city of St. Louis, represents an extraordinary business retention and expansion opportunity for the city.
The federal site election process considered some 200 alternate locations for prospective replacement of the long-standing facility south of downtown St. Louis. This existing facility is one of the largest employers in the city of St. Louis and one of the largest sources of earning tax income to the city. Retaining this current major employer in the city represents an opportunity for an eventual 7,000 jobs and over $1 billion in investment with the expanded new facility.
It is worth noting that only one of the six finalist sites is in the city. The fact that the Pruitt-Igoe site is attractive is primarily the result of the land that has been assembled by developer Paul McKee Jr. as part of the 1,500-acre NorthSide Regeneration development, with support from the State of Missouri through the Distressed Communities Land Assembly Tax Credits.
The city is competitive in being able to meet the Geospatial Center’s required minimum of 50 acres as a result of combining the land of the former Pruitt-Igoe public housing site and adjoining land in the NorthSide Regeneration footprint. The city of St. Louis now has an opportunity here to both retain and add jobs — ultimately totally 7,000 employees, but it will have to make a compelling case that this is the best site to the federal government.
Being able to present a well-located 50-acre site will be a key, as will evidence that the city and state are investing in the key infrastructure improvements to and from the proposed new federal center. The currently proposed connections to Highway 40, improvements to Jefferson and Cass and connection to the new Mississippi River Bridge will all be important considerations in the eventual site-selection decision by the federal government.
Further, the fact that St. Louis recently was named by the federal government as a winner in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative could also add a boost to the city’s effort.
This National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency site decision is perhaps the most significant single economic development opportunity that the city of St. Louis has had in several decades. Successfully landing the center would complement the continued revitalization of downtown St. Louis, complement the developments at CORTEX, jump-start the 1,500-acre NorthSide Regeneration development and provide the long-neglected North City with a major job-creating reinvestment.
The potential use of the Pruitt-Igoe Site as part of this major new federal facility would be particularly fitting in light of the now well-chronicled history of federal government’s failure on this public housing development in St. Louis.
This federal investment would not only meet a very important federal facility need, but it could be a real game-changer for the city, the NorthSide Regeneration development and the entire St. Louis region.
Dick Fleming is chairman, Community Development Ventures, Inc., a St. Louis-based community and economic development firm. He served as president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA) from 1994 to 2012.
