Greater St. Louis Inc. released its for the St. Louis metropolitan area Wednesday morning. That鈥檚 after reviewing a wave of public feedback鈥攕ome might say blowback鈥攆ollowing the first plan鈥檚 release in December.
The newly formed economic development group laid out a 10-year road map that focuses heavily on a strategy to beef up the region鈥檚 core in an inclusive way that also reduces racial disparities in income and wealth. But .
Thousands of residents across the region and many organizations have since weighed in through virtual public meetings and written comments.
鈥淚鈥檝e really never seen anything like this,鈥� said Bruce Katz, author of the report and co-founder of New Localism Advisors, which helps cities develop economic growth plans. 鈥淧eople want this to work. People are hungry for action 鈥� that was very clear.鈥�
Racial justice organization Forward Through Ferguson made its In them, Executive Director David Dwight IV said the draft took 鈥渁 check-the-box approach to eliminating racial inequities.鈥� He called on the group to commit to anti-racist, equitable economic development and laid out how to do it.
Katz said many people鈥檚 comments urged a greater focus on tackling racial disparities and bringing new voices to the table.
鈥淲hat people were saying reflected what is happening in the country, and frankly what St. Louis has already gone through in many respects because of Ferguson,鈥� Katz said.
In the report鈥檚 new foreword, Greater St. Louis writes it should have reached out to groups working in the racial equity and disability communities earlier in the process. It also acknowledges that Civic Progress 鈥� one of several groups that now make up Greater St. Louis 鈥� advocated for a bond issue passed in 1955 that led to the demolition of , a predominantly Black community once located in the city center.
Valerie Patton, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of Greater St. Louis, said the group needed to acknowledge those things in order to move forward.
She said the group also needs 鈥渞adical collaboration鈥� to bridge the gap in the fragmented region.
鈥淚f we continue to do things the way we鈥檝e always done them, I think the cliche says that鈥檚 insanity. So if we want to get past insanity, we鈥檙e going to have to bring people to the table, we鈥檙e going to have to treat them with dignity and respect, we're going to have to listen to what they contribute,鈥� she said.
Patton said that means valuing the input from communities of color, as well as communities in the eight counties in Illinois and seven counties in Missouri that make up the region.
She said some of the input has been incorporated into five new goals listed in the report:
- Grow the number of quality jobs in the metro.
- Strengthen employer commitment to buy, hire and invest locally.
- Boost employment density in and rejuvenation of the urban core.
- Expand Black and brown entrepreneurship.
- Increase the number of Black workers with quality jobs.
Greater St. Louis defines quality jobs as those that pay 80% or more of the national median wage and include benefits 鈥� $40,000 or more in 2020.
Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, said the feedback has been constructive and led to needed conversations across the region.
鈥淚n some ways there was as much dialogue about what to do as how we do it. And so that forward reflects what we see is a new generation of how the business community shows up in this community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his isn't a business community that shows up and says, 鈥楬ere's our way.鈥欌��
The plan鈥檚 five key strategies to spur growth haven鈥檛 changed. They include:
- Steward an inclusive economy.
- Restore the core of St. Louis as the jobs and cultural center of the region.
- Build a world-class ecosystem for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Become a talent engine and magnet.
- Make St. Louis a hub for next-generation industries and technologies.
Hall said Greater St. Louis and its partners are already implementing aspects of the plan, including making way on projects like the Brickline Greenway.
Here's a copy of the updated plan:
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