SLDC Renews Downtown Retail Incentive Program

St. Louis, MO (May 15, 2025) — On Thursday, the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) Board of Directors approved a resolution approving $100,000 for the Downtown Retail Incentive Program. 

The program provides grants to eligible businesses in downtown St. Louis to make interior and exterior upgrades, cover up to a year of rent for businesses that default on lease agreements, create pop-up shops in vacant storefronts, and implement outdoor seating and displays to attract foot traffic. 

Grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000 for each business. 

Priority will be given to retail businesses like restaurants, bookstores, apparel stores, and coffee shops along high-traffic areas like Washington Avenue, Locust Street, and Laclede’s Landing. 

In 2024, SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. partnered to provide $350,000 to start the program. 11 businesses received a total of $303,300. 

The $100,000 allocated for the 2025 program comes from interest earned from American Rescue Plan Act funding/Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) passed through the City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA).