Latest news with #RevitalizingMissouriDowntownsandMainStreetsAct
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown St. Louis development plan falls short as Missouri lawmakers adjourn
ST. LOUIS – A proposal that sought to convert empty office buildings in downtown St. Louis into residential and retail spaces fell short of the governor's desk as Missouri lawmakers adjourned for the year Thursday. Senate Bill 35, sponsored by State Rep. Steven Roberts (D-St. Louis), aimed to create the the 'Revitalizing Missouri Downtowns and Main Streets Act.' Extreme hail, winds, more possible Thursday and Friday The legislation proposed authorizing up to $50 million per year in tax credits to support the renovation and rehabilitation of blighted properties, specifically along Main Streets and in the heart of downtowns across the state. In an April interview with Nexstar Missouri Capitol Bureau reporter Mark Zinn, Roberts pointed to two longtime vacant downtown St. Louis buildings – the Railway Exchange Building and former AT&T skyscraper – as prime candidates for redevelopment under such tax credits. Visions included mixed-use spaces with residential units, ground-level retail and office space. The bill drew some bipartisan support and cleared the Senate before reaching a House Economic Development Committee hearing, but ultimately failed to gain enough momentum before the state's legislative session ended. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate bill targets revival of rundown buildings statewide
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Democratic Senator from St. Louis is encouraged by the bipartisanship that propelled one of his bills out of the Senate and into the House. The measure relates to revitalizing rundown, dilapidated buildings on main streets across the state. Sen. Steven Roberts' Senate Bill 35 creates the 'Revitalizing Missouri Downtowns and Main Streets Act.' The bill authorizes tax credits to be used for the renovation and rehab of blighted property. The measure, which has already been fast-tracked to a Missouri House committee hearing, would allow such tax credits up to $50 million a year. In an interview with Nexstar Missouri, Roberts pointed to two buildings in downtown St. Louis as prime candidates for this kind of tax credit. He said both the historic Railway Exchange Building, as well as the skyscraper that used to house AT&T, are sitting vacant. He claims both of the buildings have great potential, which include a plan to renovate the AT&T building into a mixed-use property with residential units, ground retail and business space. 'You could see like retail stores and a grocery store,' Roberts said of proposals he has seen for the 44-story building. The vacant skyscraper, which is the largest building by area in Missouri, soars over the heart of downtown St. Louis' 'main street,' and it would qualify for the credits. There are already plans proposed to make that building occupied once again. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'We need support from the state to be able to get this moving,' he added. 'So, I'm really excited about (the bill moving forward).' While the bill saw bipartisan support, several Republican senators still voted against it. Still, Roberts' optimism seemed unphased. 'For me to have a bipartisan piece of legislation like that and to get it moving so quickly, I'm very excited,' he said. The Democrat—an attorney with the military's Judge Advocate General—said his conversations with leadership and even Gov. Mike Kehoe offered glimpses of hope that his bill could finally make it to the finish line and onto Kehoe's desk. 'I think this is the first governor we've had from the St. Louis area. He's been fantastic to work with,' Roberts said. 'We don't agree on everything, as you can imagine, but he's a statesman…I respect him and look forward to working with him.' Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was from Jefferson County, Eric Greitens graduated from the Parkway School District but moved around the state and country, and Mike Parson hailed from Boliver. Before that, a search of previous governors yielded no results in terms of St. Louis being their hometown. Gov. Matt Blunt is from Springfield, Gov. Bob Holden is from the Kansas City area and the late Gov. Mel Carnahan is beloved in his hometown of Rolla. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Missouri bill by St. Louis senator pushes tax credits for downtown revival
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A St. Louis Democratic state senator is pleased that one of his bills passed from the Senate to the House with bipartisan support. The measure relates to revitalizing rundown, dilapidated buildings on main streets across the state. Sen. Steven Roberts' Senate Bill 35 creates the 'Revitalizing Missouri Downtowns and Main Streets Act.' The bill authorizes tax credits to be used for the renovation and rehab of blighted property. The measure, which has already been fast-tracked to a Missouri House committee hearing, would allow such tax credits up to $50 million a year. In an interview with Nexstar Missouri, Roberts pointed to two building in downtown St. Louis as prime candidates for this kind of tax credit. He said both the historic Railway Exchange Building as well as the skyscraper that used to house AT&T are sitting vacant. Roberts said both of the buildings have great potential, including a plan to renovate the AT&T building into a mixed-use property with residential units as well as ground retail and business space. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'You could see like retail stores and a grocery store,' Roberts said of proposals he has seen for the 44-story building. Roberts said the vacant skyscraper, which is the largest building by area in Missouri, soars over the heart of downtown St. Louis's 'main street,' and it would qualify for the credits. He said there are already plans proposed to make that building occupied once again. 'We need support from the state to be able to get this moving,' Roberts said. 'So, I'm really excited about (the bill moving forward).' While the bill saw bipartisan support, several Republican senators still voted against it. Still, Roberts' optimism seemed unphased. 'For me to have a bipartisan piece of legislation like that and to get it moving so quickly, I'm very excited,' said Roberts. The Democrat, an attorney with the military's Judge Advocate General, said his conversations with leadership and even Gov. Mike Kehoe offered glimpses of hope that his bill could finally make it to the finish line and onto Kehoe's desk. 'I think this is the first governor we've had from the Saint Louis area,' Roberts said. 'He's been fantastic to work with.' 'We don't agree on everything, as you can imagine, but he's a statesman,' he said. 'I respect him and look forward to working with him.' Former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon was from Jefferson County, Eric Greitens graduated from the Parkway School District but moved around the state and country and Mike Parson hailed from Boliver. Before that, a search of previous governors yielded no results in terms of St. Louis being their hometown. Gov. Matt Blunt is from Springfield, Gov. Bob Holden is from the Kansas City area and the late Gov. Mel Carnahan is beloved in his hometown of Rolla. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
