A New Millennium | Snapshot | Demographics | Economy | Housing
Infrastructure | Public/Social Services | Public Facilities | Quality of Life | Conclusion

ST LOUIS: READY FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM

In April 1997, the voters of the City of St. Louis elected a new mayor, Clarence Harmon. One of Mayor Harmon's first actions in office was to set a goal for the City's revitalization. Specifically, he called for all City government departments, as well as all St. Louis stakeholders, to work towards making St. Louis the number one rated "Most Livable City" in the United States by 2010.

For a city which has experienced one of the largest percentage drops in population in the 1990s, where poverty and unemployment remain significantly higher than national averages, and where one local newspaper columnist, citing the City's lack of action in many areas, called St. Louis the "City of Plans," such a goal might seem overly ambitious. But, as Mayor Harmon noted in announcing the goal, "We have the power to change. Some changes can be implemented immediately; others require a longer implementation timeframe. Our task is to provide the leadership to address development challenges facing St. Louis. Successful neighborhood and economic development necessitates the reinstitution of planning as a core competency, inter-agency collaboration, and the active involvement of the private sector."

Two and a half years later, and five years after the publication of St. Louis' original Five-Year Consolidated Plan, there is evidence that the City is making progress towards its goal. Changes are taking place, with positive outcomes and significant implications for the coming decade. Among these changes are:

• A major initiative to revitalize Downtown St. Louis that appears to have the full support of government, business, and civic leaders.
• An $86 million restoration of Forest Park, the region's largest tourist attraction and community gathering place.
• More than $1.5 billion in new construction projects within the City limits since 1994, including nearly $400 million in 1998 alone.
• More than 2,800 new housing units that have been constructed or rehabbed in the past five years.
• Construction about to start on a new convention headquarters hotel Downtown.
• A $100 million investment to transform public housing in the City.
• A shift in the City's decision making structure that has resulted in African Americans in the mayor's office, the comptroller's office, and a variety of other elected positions.
• Designation of the City's and the region's most disadvantaged neighborhoods as a federal Empowerment Zone, bringing new focus and resources to these areas.
• Strong, well-maintained, well-financed cultural institutions that enhance the quality of life.
• A significant decline in both actual and perceived levels of crime in the City.
• Reorganization of the City's economic development and planning agencies to make them more efficient and focused.
• An unprecedented level of public-private collaboration, built upon recognition that the City of St. Louis remains the core of the region and a focal point for revitalization efforts.

All of these factors point to a City that is on the move, one that is focused on a goal and has a plan to achieve it. Indeed, from many perspectives, St. Louis is poised on the brink of revitalization, lacking only the resources to move even more quickly.

But statistics and lists of accomplishments can also hide underlying issues that continue to threaten the health and long-term viability of the City, if not the region as a whole. Through a comprehensive citizen outreach effort, including public forums, roundtable discussions, a telephone survey of residents, and meetings with neighborhood organizations, those preparing this Consolidated Plan heard a consistent message of hope mixed with fear. Hope that changes are happening for the better and that tomorrow will be brighter than today. Fear that real challenges, such as unacceptably high levels of poverty, a failing educational system, neighborhood decline due to absentee ownership, a large number of vacant and abandoned buildings, streets, sidewalks, and alleys in need of repairs, and the need for more youth programs, will prevent the City from achieving its lofty goal.

Many of these fears are also examined in detail in Chapter 3 of this report by subject matter experts from throughout the region. Among the "storm clouds" they identify are:

• The City's population has declined by an estimated 15% since the 1990 census.
• Nearly 50% of all children in the City are living below the poverty line.
• The City captures only a tiny fraction of the region's new housing market.
• Developers and real estate agents remain reluctant participants in promoting City housing.
• A growing immigrant population presents a new set of challenges for schools, social service agencies, and government departments.
• The City's Land Reutilization Authority has an inventory of more than 9,000 vacant sites, yet lacks the resources to assemble this land into marketable residential or commercial packages.
• Many of these vacant sites are brownfields for which the City lacks the resources for remediation.
• Unemployment among City residents averages nearly twice the national rate.
• Urban sprawl has continued to drain much-needed resources from the City to fuel outward migration and development at the expense of the City's aging infrastructure.
• Too many businesses continue to view the City as unfriendly towards them, a place where they cannot receive expeditious, equitable, and professional service.
• The City faces a shortage of low income housing units, caused by the demolition of several public housing and other subsidized projects and the lack of landlords interested in participating in the Section 8 program.
• An aging infrastructure will require substantial resources for repairs and replacement, resources for which the City must compete with suburban and exurban areas.
• Between 1998 and 2015, the area will experience a shortfall of $302 million needed for resurfacing and repairing existing roads and bridges and building new ones. Plus, local governments have an additional infrastructure "wish list": totaling $2.7 billion that remains unfunded.
• Racial polarization continues to be a divisive issue that prevents many projects and initiatives from happening or happening quickly in the City and the region.

Which "version" of St. Louis is correct? On the one hand, there IS a new spirit of action and cooperation that is fueling a rebirth in many parts of the City. On the other hand, too many residents, businesses, and civic leaders remain skeptical or even disinterested in revitalizing the City. Winning them over will require demonstrating the City's potential, first with small victories - a cleaned up neighborhood, an improved graduation rate, a business choosing to stay and expand in the City - followed by more significant achievements - the revitalization of Downtown, successful elimination of brownfields, significant declines in the poverty and unemployment rates.

At the tail end of the 19th century, St. Louis found itself coalescing around a different kind of vision as it began preparations for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. One hundred years later, the City faces an equally daunting task of recreating itself for the entire world to see. This time, the goal is not simply one event, but a neighborhood and economic rebirth that can fuel its next 100 years.

WHAT ST. LOUIS RESIDENTS CITE AS PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

The following area few of the comments heard at various public hearings held in conjunction with the development of this Consolidated Plan Strategy.

"We need businesses established in our area."
"Need more retail in North St. Louis."
"More jobs/job training for young adults."
"Reduce the city bureaucracy that turns off small and medium sized businesses."
"Innovative assistance to encourage more small businesses to locate in the city."
"The city needs middle income housing."
"Build new housing in blighted areas."
"More needs to be done to stabilize housing stock before it gets into demolition condition."
"Develop 'walkable' neighborhoods."
"Community Education Centers need to continue to receive funding from CDA because after-school programs, adult education, and life-long learning are critical to the quality of life in the city."
"Improve public transportation."
"Less trash in alleys and streets."
"There are few safe places for children to go."
"We need more community involvement."