Project Connect
About Project Connect
Spearheaded by SLDC, Project Connect ensures coordination and collaboration between neighborhood revitalization, transportation/infrastructure improvements and other redevelopment efforts — and the City of St. Louis’ investments to support the Next NGA West Campus — in six North St. Louis neighborhoods: St. Louis Place, Old North St. Louis, JeffVanderLou, Carr Square, Columbus Square and Hyde Park.
Through Project Connect, SLDC is working to ensure disinvested areas don’t get left behind during future growth and development — and that residents, business owners and community stakeholders have their voice and vision heard during the planning and redevelopment process.
What is Project Connect?
Project Connect began as a City of St. Louis initiative to understand the potential benefits and impacts the relocation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) would have on surrounding neighborhoods and future development. It has since evolved into an effort to create alignment between the needs & desires expressed by the people of those neighborhoods, existing projects and future neighborhood opportunities.
Goals of Project Connect
Project Connect’s purpose is to support existing residents and encourage compatible new development by optimizing the impact of public investment. While the initial goal of Project Connect was to understand the benefits and challenges of NGA's relocation to North City and the impact it would have on the surrounding neighborhoods, currently the Project Connect initiative seeks to attract investment opportunities and leverage community assets to transform the six neighborhoods surrounding the new NGA facility. The Project Connect team works in partnership with residents and community stakeholders to accomplish this.
Project Connect Milestones
Action Plan: The creation of the Project Connect Action Plan was the first milestone of the initiative. SLDC and its consultants hosted a series of engagement opportunities to solicit community input to identify priority programs or projects where City investment might create the greatest community benefit. Those conversations helped shape the Action Plan, which summarized findings on the benefits and challenges of NGA relocating to North St. Louis, identified potential investment opportunities and provided a list of recommendations for how to begin pursuing opportunities for neighborhood growth and development.
Neighborhood Plans: One of the recommendations from the Project Connect Action Plan was to create neighborhood plans. To begin this effort, in late 2022, SLDC kicked-off the OUR PLAN Neighborhood Planning process. The Project Connect neighborhoods are currently working in partnership with SLDC and the City of St. Louis Planning & Urban Design Agency to create neighborhood plans that will guide future neighborhood growth and set the stage for attracting the type of redevelopment opportunities that align with the neighborhoods’ visions.
Neighborhood Vision
The Project Connect team works with residents and community stakeholders to determine how to best utilize public funding opportunities and investments. The goal of establishing a neighborhood vision is to:
Develop an understanding of potential future land use, zoning and infrastructure improvement projects.
Establish a direction for neighborhood growth and development for the years to come.
Infrastructure Improvements: In addition to the recommendation of creating neighborhood plans, the Project Connect Action Plan identified a series of priority infrastructure investments that will improve accessibility to North St. Louis, and provide additional mechanisms to improve safety and security, walkability, storm water management and economic development opportunities. Those priority infrastructure investments include:
Interstate 64/40 City Streets (22nd St., Scott, Ewing, Clark Aves.)
N. Jefferson Ave. and N. 20th Street (Market to Natural Bridge Ave.)
Cass Ave. (Tucker Blvd. to Elliot Ave.)
These improvements will balance projected traffic needs with pedestrian and bicycle safety as a result of Next NGA West. SLDC has been working with city departments to actively advance these projects in conjunction with the OUR PLAN Neighborhood Planning process.
Want to Know About Development Activity in Your Neighborhood?
To help track development activity in the Project Connect footprint, SLDC has created a mapping tool that includes projects receiving incentives, private development projects and building permits.
If you know of a development that is not included on the map, please contact the Project Connect Team.
NGA: A Catalyst for Development
We anticipate Next NGA West will be a catalyst for new development in North St. Louis. As evidenced by the NGA facility in Arnold, Mo., stores, restaurants, services, business and industry that were aligned with NGA moved nearby the facility — bringing new investments, new jobs and other community benefits. Through the Project Connect Neighborhood Planning process, SLDC is actively working with residents to facilitate neighborhood transformation in the Project Connect neighborhoods. SLDC will continue to work with both the community to help define and develop future opportunities, and with local developers to cultivate project opportunities consistent with priorities of each neighborhood.
Local/Neighborhood Meetings & Events
Alignment between local officials and community members is the key to Project Connect. For this reason, Project Connect representatives attend neighborhood meetings in the six Project Connect neighborhoods. We are invited by community leaders to listen to concerns, provide specific information, receive feedback and answer questions. If you want us at your meeting, email us.
