ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Development Corp., the city's development agency, plans to open a center in north St. Louis to provide training and other resources to businesses and entrepreneurs.
The agency, whose board approved the project Thursday, plans to open the Northside Economic Empowerment Center in Sumner High School, pending review by St. Louis Public Schools. The project will be funded through $1.5 million from the city's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment of nearly $500 million.
Officials said the Northside Economic Empowerment Center will be a technical assistance hub to support growth in small businesses in north St. Louis, providing services including certification workshops for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, digital training and resources, and procurement education, among others.
“Making our city more equitable across racial lines and zip codes means thinking outside the box,” SLDC Executive Director Neal Richardson said in a statement. “Through the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, the City will bring resources directly to the neighborhoods that have lacked access to these tools while collaborating to use community anchors in new and innovative ways."
Read the full story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
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