Companies now in St. Louis should not be encouraged to do what is not profitable to them. At the same time, leadership within the business and civic community is needed to help companies see the possibilities and to work in concert in ways that benefit St. Louis and its distressed areas. Downtown was not considered. These mid-level decision makers were apparently receiving no guidance from CEOs to consider downtown as a location, in large part because the chief executives saw no apparent connection between their companies' growth and the stability of downtown. The civic infrastructure in St. Louis may need an overhaul.
Outside help is likely to be needed.
One or both organizations should be invited to the city to provide expertise, capital and leadership to work on improvement of distressed areas. Document the competitive advantages of the inner city and the distressed areas in the St. Louis region. Match the potential users of space with their needs. Then develop a market-driven strategy for downtown development. Develop a long term plan for downtown and other distressed areas.