Mayor Jones and SLDC Commemorate Opening of the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, Signing of $93 Million Economic Justice Act for Disinvested Communities
St. Louis, Mo. (January 9, 2023) – Earlier today, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) — along with representatives from St. Louis Public Schools, the Sumner High School Advisory Board and other community partners — celebrated the grand opening of the Northside Economic Empowerment Center (NEEC) with a ribbon cutting ceremony and the signing of the Economic Justice Act (BB125). Located in the Sumner High School annex in North St. Louis, the NEEC focuses on business empowerment, capacity building and workforce development. The NEEC provides access to technical assistance, capital, back-office support services and training opportunities for residents and businesses. The opening is a standing representation of the City’s commitment to reinvest in North St. Louis neighborhoods. The Economic Justice Act, signed by Mayor Jones and passed overwhelmingly by the Board of Aldermen, directs $93 million to disinvested communities.
“The next Annie Malone could drop in at the Northside Economic Empowerment Center to receive the support and training she needs to open her first business; maybe the next World Wide Technology will get its start right here in the Ville,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “Through the NEEC and the $93 million Economic Justice Act, St. Louis is investing directly in the neighborhoods that need it most to make our communities stronger and our entire city safer a safer place.
Funded through $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriation signed by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, the Northside Economic Empowerment Center will be a one-stop-shop for businesses — no matter where they are in their entrepreneurial journey. The physical location, combined with online resources available via the BOSS Portal, will allow SLDC to deliver a variety of services when and where business owners need them. Training and workshops will be offered for those who want to start a business, but don’t know where to start; for new business owners and young startups and existing businesses looking to diversify, grow or expand. The NEEC will be open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The Northside Economic Empowerment Center is a major investment in the Economic Empowerment Pillar of the Economic Justice Action Plan and would not have been possible without Mayor Jones’ support for our vision to bring this facility to fruition and commitment of ARPA funds to make it happen,” said SLDC President & CEO, Neal Richardson. “As SLDC seeks to create an ecosystem that provides opportunities for businesses to launch, grow and sustain their operations, we knew opening a strategic, centralized facility that offers the resources most needed by companies at various stages would be critical for success. We are also acutely aware that there are unoccupied and underoccupied school buildings like this one that are ripe for redevelopment, so it was a natural location for a facility specifically targeted for services to aid in the economic advancement of residents and businesses in historically underinvested areas like The Ville.”
The Economic Justice Act will deliver $93 million in American Rescue Plan funds directly to communities, the first step toward a long process of reversing decades of intentional disinvestment to empower, transform and develop long-neglected neighborhoods after decades of disinvestment. With tools to promote homeownership, development, workforce training and property stabilization, this Act will jumpstart the City’s work to support neighborhoods and the working families who live in them. It is a part of the City’s commitment of $150 million to North St. Louis outlined in Mayor Jones’ April 2022 State of the City address.
