ST. LOUIS — Communications are giving a new window into St. Louis officials' reactions to the Wall Street Journal article highlighting the city's struggling downtown.
The Business Journal requested messages from several officials, including Neal Richardson, CEO of city development agency St. Louis Development Corp., related to the April feature, titled "The real estate nightmare unfolding in downtown St. Louis." SLDC turned over some communications this month.
The piece, which focused on downtown's poor office and retail environment, prompted officials issue their own statements highlighting recent redevelopments, an incentive program aimed at attracting retail to downtown, and traffic calming and infrastructure upgrades on Seventh Street, such as new sidewalks, trees, lighting and bike lanes, totaling $3.6 million. They also criticized the Journal, saying the piece adopted an "overly dramatic, pessimistic tone." Those criticisms were also included in the public statements later issued by the SLDC, Mayor Tishaura Jones and Greater St. Louis Inc., the region's private sector business group.
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