Today's Headlines
IT'S GAME TIME!
Yadier Molina Field. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
I like the sound of it not only because it honors a truly great St. Louis Cardinal, but also because it symbolizes a transformation in Wellston. The ball field, located in the heart of Wellston, was once a rundown parking lot. Now, it stands as an icon of progress and momentum.
This progress includes the Metropolitan Education & Training (MET) Center. The MET center is a starting point for the unemployed and underemployed to brush up on their skills and get hands-on training so they can find quality jobs. Just one a block away is one of our Enterprise Centers, a small business incubator where entrepreneurs grow their ideas into the next great St. Louis company.
But the game isn’t over. We continue to prepare sites around Yadier Molina Field and the MET Center for future job growth. A full-service childcare center will soon be available and there is plenty of room for new industrial growth.
So, Yadier Molina, thank you for your dedication to this community. This ball field will be a place for generations of St. Louis County kids to learn the game of baseball. But it’s so much more than that; it’s a sign of progress.
Charlie A. Dooley
St. Louis County Executive
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PORT AUTHORITY AWARDS $750K TO LEMAY GROUPS
Congratulations to nine worthy organizations in the community of Lemay! St. Louis County Port Authority is pleased to announce the winners of more than $750,000 in grants from the Community Reinvestment Fund. The fund is designed to help the community of Lemay grow and prosper.
Award recipients include:
VFW Post 4223
AT&T Telephone Pioneers
Lemay Child and Family Center
Jefferson Barracks Heritage Foundation
Hancock Place School District/Lemay Child and Family Center
Lemay Development Corporation
U.S. 2nd Rangers Battalion
Lemay Memorial American Legion Post 162
Freedom's Gateway
The Community Reinvestment Fund was created with revenue generated by the lease of the former National Lead site to Pinnacle Entertainment for the operation of River City Casino. The Port Authority has pledged to reinvest 75 percent of lease payments received from River City Casino directly into Lemay for the first five years of the casino's operation.
Grants are distributed semiannually. Applications are currently being accepted by the Port Authority selection committee for the next round of funding. The deadline is June 1, 2011.
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COLLABORATION SPARKS $32M INVESTMENT
Where will the bulldozers start rolling first?
The city of St. Charles, St. Louis County Economic Council and Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA) have combined forces to spark new development and job growth within the region.
In February, the Heartland Regional Investment Fund received $32 million dollars in New Markets Tax Credits from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Now, the investment fund is looking to put it to good use.
The Heartland Regional Investment Fund has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to identify developers and companies that qualify for the tax credits. The tax credits will provide a critical source of equity to developers and businesses that may otherwise find it difficult to underwrite job-creating development projects and business expansion activities.
"We believe this request will capture the attention of a company or developer who has a concept but does not quite have the right financing to get that project accomplished," said Doug Rasmussen, vice president of Business Development for the Economic Council. "The Heartland group has come together, and we believe it will result in very strong projects and the creation of many new jobs."
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DANFORTH CENTER SHOWCASES INNOVATION
This spring, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will play host to the top scientific entrepreneurs in the nation. This is the third year for the world-renowned Ag Innovation Showcase.
The two-day gathering (May 23-24) has quickly become the leading global event for the agriculture sector. It attracts some of the industry’s most distinguished leaders and innovators to St. Louis, the heartland of American agriculture.
The conference also is gaining popularity among venture capitalists, who see the event as an opportunity to be the first to spot new opportunities in the plant and life sciences sector.
This year, the conference will address new agricultural challenges such as supply and demand, country-specific insights, biofuels, and food production.
The Ag Innovation Showcase is a joint effort of Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park, Larta Institute, St. Louis County Economic Council, Missouri Biotechnology Association, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), and Missouri Technology Corporation.
More information is available at www.agshowcase.com.
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ST. LOUIS COUNTY HEADLINES
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