City Adopts 'OurPlan' for Historically Disinvested North St. Louis Neighborhoods

Thanks to the work of over 1000 City residents and partners, Project Connect "OurPlan" was formally adopted by the Planning Commission last night. "OurPlan" is a supplement to the City's Comprehensive plan for six historically disinvested northern neighborhoods surrounding the National Geospatial Association (NGA) west site: St. Louis Place, Hyde Park, Old North St. Louis, Columbus Square, Carr Square, and Jeff-Vander-Lou.

This initiative began under Mayor Francis Slay in 2016, after the NGA decided to build its new headquarters in North St. Louis. To ensure the largest federal investment in the city's history benefitted rather than displaced existing residents, the Mayor's Office and St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) launched Project Connect as a two-pronged strategy: community engagement through public meetings and coordination of local infrastructure and development.

Under Mayor Lyda Krewson, the Project Connect team targeted federal funding opportunities to support infrastructure projects in the area, and built out project collaboration between residents, the City, regional and federal agencies, local nonprofits, and the private sector. Under Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, SLDC launched the community-driven planning phase, resulting in nearly 100 meetings and working groups being conducted with more than 1,000 residents in partnership with neighborhood steering committees, neighborhood associations, aldermen, and private sector partners.

Under Mayor Cara Spencer, SLDC released proposed draft neighborhood plans, hosted more community feedback meetings, and incorporated that feedback prior to finalizing the plan adopted by the Planning Commission. The final plan provides a comprehensive roadmap for the revitalization of those neighborhoods and recommends targeted actions across core focus areas to guide revitalization and infrastructure development:

1. Housing and vacancy: emphasizes long-term neighborhood stability through expanded housing repair resources, tax abatements, community land trusts, and enhanced anti-displacement and homeowner assistance policies.
2. Economic development: focuses on place-based strategies to generate growth, build community wealth, and leverage nearby regional investments.
3. Transportation and mobility: details physical infrastructure improvements, including pedestrian and cycling amenities (sidewalk repairs, upgraded lighting, crosswalks), traffic calming, street connectivity restoration, and alignment with major regional transits like the Brickline Greenway and the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
4. Arts, culture, and community assets: prioritizes community-serving spaces, youth programming, and expanding educational opportunities.
5. Historic preservation, architecture, landscape design, and urban design: establishes design guidelines sensitive to the architectural history of the neighborhoods.
6. Sustainability, climate resiliency, mitigation, and adaptation: localizes broader climate goals by upgrading sewer and stormwater infrastructure to reduce flooding, expanding the tree canopy, and creating a "Green Edge" environmental and noise buffer along Interstate 70.

"The adoption of Project Connect 'OurPlan' is the result of the efforts of many public and private stakeholders across four mayoral administrations. Most importantly, it's the result of the community, who guided the process through resident-led committees, public workshops, community surveys, and public comments up through the final adoption phase," said Mayor Spencer. "To the many dedicated staff at SLDC and the Planning and Urban Design Agency (PDA) over the past decade who stewarded this process with such care and diligence, thank you."

The next steps involve the introduction of specific plan amendments during the annual Strategic Land Use Plan (SLUP) update; the advancement of interim rezoning applications; and preparation for integration of the plan into the comprehensive citywide zoning code update. City agencies, like SLDC, PDA, the Community Development Administration and the Board of Public Service, will also deploy specified funding sources, programs, and catalyst projects.

"This plan adoption is the culmination of years of collaborative efforts from residents, community stakeholders, and partners across the city," said Project Connect co-leads Curtis Griggs and Melissa Garcia. "We look forward to continuing our engagement with community members and city agencies to bring the priorities identified in this plan to fruition."

Mayor Spencer will hold a formal event soon recognizing this significant milestone and those who worked to make it possible.