New gathering spaces, greenway connections and small business incubators are coming to several St. Louis neighborhoods, fueled by $1.14 million in city grants supporting community-led visions.
The Neighborhood Plan Implementation Awards, announced Wednesday by the city’s Community Development Administration (CDA), will support projects in Skinker DeBaliviere, the West End, Downtown, Downtown West, Covenant Blu-Grand Center, Jeff-Vander-Lou and St. Louis Place.
Funded through the city’s Economic Development Sales Tax, the initiative helps neighborhoods move from planning to action, turning years of resident-led visioning into tangible, visible improvements. Each project reflects goals identified in neighborhood plans adopted by the City Planning Commission after extensive community engagement.
“These awards represent neighborhoods taking charge of their future,” said Nahuel Fefer, CDA’s executive director. “Residents have spent years developing thoughtful plans. This funding helps turn those plans into action — making visible progress toward safer, stronger and more vibrant communities.”
In Skinker DeBaliviere, a $242,825 award will transform two underused lots along Delmar Boulevard — at Hamilton and Des Peres avenues — into new public spaces. One site will serve as a community gathering area; the other will become a dog park. The projects align with the WeCollab Reinvestment Plan from 2023, which aims to activate vacant land and strengthen connections along the Delmar corridor.
In north St. Louis, Brickline North CDC will receive $279,500 to deploy three pilot shipping-container business incubators along the Brickline Greenway in the Jeff-Vander-Lou and St. Louis Place neighborhoods.
The reimagined containers will host vendor markets, food pop-ups and cultural events that showcase local creativity and entrepreneurship. In partnership with Mission St. Louis and Tabernacle CDC, the initiative will also provide hands-on training for new small business owners.
“This is exactly why the Brickline North CDC was formed — to support neighbors in building capacity and opportunity,” said Daphne Redding, vice president of BNCDC and a St. Louis Place resident.
A $388,000 award to the Downtown Neighborhood Association, in partnership with the Locust Business District, will enhance the “City Commons” corridor between 18th Street and Jefferson Avenue with new signage, monuments and video displays.
The project, guided by the 2020 Design Downtown STL Plan aims to help visitors and residents better navigate the growing area surrounding CITYPARK, the Brickline Greenway and future Metro Green Line and NGA campus developments.
“This part of St. Louis is emerging as a key connecting piece between Downtown and Midtown,” said Ann Kittlaus, executive director of the Locust Central Business District. “The timing and impact of this grant are incredible—it will help people explore and experience the area’s growth.”
James Page, executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, said the effort is only the beginning. “We envision future investments that will provide improvements to safety, security, quality of life and sense of community for residents, workers, visitors and sports fans — all guided by the Downtown Plan,” he said.
In the West End, Cornerstone CDC will use a $234,376 award to redevelop the long-vacant warehouse at 900 Hodiamont Ave., at the western trailhead of the planned Hodiamont Greenway.
The project will convert the blighted site into a flexible space for neighborhood events, pop-up markets and small business activations. Situated near Gwen Giles Park and several intersecting greenways, the redevelopment will serve as a gateway connecting the West End to surrounding neighborhoods.
“The residents’ vision for a vibrant, multi-use green corridor is one step closer to reality,” said Monique Thomas, Cornerstone CDC’s executive director. “This marks an exciting milestone for the West End and the power of resident-led planning.”
The Neighborhood Plan Implementation Awards were created under the city’s Economic Development Sales Tax Ordinance, which dedicates 10% of revenue to projects that advance officially adopted neighborhood plans. Applications are reviewed competitively based on alignment with community goals, feasibility and potential impact.
Since its founding in 1974, the Community Development Administration has invested roughly $25 million annually in housing, infrastructure and community development across St. Louis. CDA collaborates with HUD, the Planning and Urban Design Agency and the St. Louis Development Corporation to ensure transparency and equity in funding.
“The best ideas for how to strengthen St. Louis come from the people who live here,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “These projects are the result of residents working together to plan the future — and the city following through with the resources to make their visions real.”
The city’s PlanSTL program continues to collaborate with neighborhoods to develop and adopt new plans, ensuring that resident-driven priorities shape the city’s future.
From new signage downtown to community gathering spaces and small business incubators in the north and west, the 2025 Neighborhood Plan Implementation Awards mark visible progress toward a more connected and inclusive St. Louis.