ST. LOUIS — Bringing a boost to downtown St. Louis will take collaboration, including Mayor Tishaura Jones. Friday night, one of the city's efforts to step up foot traffic wrapped up bringing huge crowds to Washington Avenue. Local leaders say it's a sign of the transformation they're working to create.
Jones said there is no quick fix. Just as it took time for the city to see a major population loss, it will take the same to bring people back, she says. Leaders say showcasing the city is one way to get the ball rolling.
Friday, Washington Avenue offered the backdrop for a night on the town.
"The people, the vibe, the music has been awesome,” said Darielle Hayes who just moved to St. Louis.
She’s impressed to learn about City Social, a yearly effort to bring people downtown with live entertainment, food, and other vendors.
"We’re serving up cocktails. We have Uncle Nearest margarita mix. We have expresso martini,” said Amanda Ghantos of Anita Café and Bar.
It’s giving businesses a boost and downtown a dose of what's it's like to see stepped up foot traffic.
"I love downtown St. Louis and I want to see it thrive,” Jones said Friday as she gathered with local leaders to promote the best of the city. "Building a thriving downtown requires partnerships."
That's where Jason Hall of Greater St. Louis, Inc. comes in. His organization works to unite the city and county to make the entire region win. The group is based downtown.
"Making downtown safe. Making it vibrant and making it beautiful. If we can get that formula right, the sky is the limit and we've seen positive momentum,” he said.
They want City Social to prove you can enjoy downtown and that it can be safe, fun, and a reflection of what a vibrant city looks like.
"No great city can exist without a thriving downtown,” Hall added.
“I love it here…Not a bad first impression for St. Louis,” Hayes said with a smile.
Another focus is tackling the issue of vacant buildings. Area leaders know it's a problem and are doing the work to address it. The mayor is counting on that community collaboration and eyeing what's working in other cities to move St. Louis forward.