Reimagining St. Louis: Lessons in Economic Transformation and Vision
Image of the St. Louis Riverfront and Arch
Like most in St. Louis, I deeply love this region. Since the article by Jim Drew in the St. Louis Business Journal came out, I’ve been reflecting on its exploration of how Detroit transformed its identity through bold initiatives and the significant backing of billionaire Dan Gilbert. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to—it’s a compelling look at what’s possible when cities dare to reimagine themselves.
In the days following its publication, I’ve had more than one conversation with professionals who care deeply about the region but feel their voices don’t matter. Some believe that because they aren’t among the billionaires mentioned or lack the ability to contribute large charitable dollars, their opinions won’t make a difference. Many don’t even know where they’d share their perspectives if they tried.
Let me be clear: the idea that "my voice doesn’t matter" is a non-starter. Every constructive voice is essential. The future of this region is at stake, and that’s not an overstatement. Whether you’re leading major initiatives, advocating for your community, or simply engaging in thoughtful conversations, your voice is part of shaping what comes next for St. Louis.
This is why Jim Drew’s article resonated so deeply. It posed a powerful question: Can St. Louis reimagine itself with the same bold vision that revitalized Detroit? That question challenges all of us—not just those in leadership positions or with significant resources—to think critically about our role in shaping the future. What legacy will we leave for future generations?
At its core, this discussion is about relevance. Just as you and I grapple with staying relevant personally and professionally, communities wrestle with how they remain vital and attractive. Stagnation isn’t an option—growth and evolution are essential for survival.
The Detroit Model: A Comprehensive Approach
In the article, Drew quotes Gilbert’s approach:
"Dan Gilbert calls it the big bang approach. You can’t just focus on one business at a time, one building at a time. You can’t just focus on just the activities downtown. You can’t just focus on increasing security downtown. You have to do all of that. You have to do it in a scale that begins to penetrate the negative perception that is typically associated with these downtowns."
This resonates deeply. In my 30 years of working in community and economic development, one constant has been this: transformation requires alignment around a shared vision. Comprehensive strategies—whether collective impact models, public-private partnerships, or urban redevelopment plans—work best when efforts converge at scale.
This kind of approach is what St. Louis needs. But to make it work, we need clear, ambitious, and inclusive vision—paired with the courage to regularly check for the “cataracts” that might cloud our outlook.
The Cataracts That Cloud Our Vision
St. Louis has the raw materials to become an economic powerhouse:
A talented and creative workforce
World-class academic and health institutions
A relatively low cost of living
A growing entrepreneurial spirit
Civic, foundation, and corporate leaders who care
Yet, we’re often held back by what I call “cataracts”—an outdated mindset clouded by skepticism and missed opportunities. These perceptions, born of past disappointments, obscure the immense potential in front of us.
Competing Visions for the Rams Settlement
The debates around the Rams settlement dollars highlight this tension. On one side, there’s a push to invest in infrastructure and attract businesses. On the other, there’s a push to create a permanent fund generating annual cash flow to benefit more people over time. Both perspectives raise critical questions:
How can we sustain infrastructure investment without earnings tax revenue?
How do we ensure both immediate and long-term benefits?
If we invest it all now, who benefits directly, and who may lose?
If we create an endowment, how do we ensure it catalyzes meaningful growth, not just maintenance?
These are not easy conversations, but they’re necessary. They challenge us to examine our priorities in decision-making and leadership. While focusing solely on who benefits can lead to divisiveness or short-term thinking, prioritizing outcomes encourages a purpose-driven approach. At the same time, we must balance this focus with an eye toward investments that facilitate growth, fostering fairness, inclusivity, and sustainable progress.
Five Critical Considerations to Guide Our Path Forward
Reflecting on the broader conversation about St. Louis’ future and the insights from Jim Drew’s article, here are five critical considerations to guide our path forward:
Learn from Success Stories
Detroit is a compelling example of what’s possible when cities commit to revitalization. As highlighted in the World Economic Forum article, Detroit Knows a Thing or Two About Revival—Other Cities Should Take Notes, and the Knight Foundation’s report What’s Moving the Needle on Bringing Downtowns Back Online?, successful transformation requires understanding local context, political realities, and coalition-building. These efforts must also address risks like displacement, ensuring redevelopment benefits the broader community. St. Louis can adapt lessons from other cities, but we must ensure these strategies align with our unique challenges and opportunities.Co-Create a Bold Vision
A shared vision is critical for transformative change, and it cannot belong to one person or group. True vision brings everyone to the table, inspires collective action, and pushes us to take calculated risks. St. Louis needs bold leadership willing to make significant bets. Did you catch that? We need to make a significant bet and align more resources beyond the amount we are currently debating to amplify or anchor those investments. If we do this, we should generate the taxes necessary to ensure the city can meet its obligations—I am certain this can be modeled out. A compelling vision should drive confidence and encourage risk-taking that results in measurable growth and shared prosperity.Ensure Inclusivity
Inclusivity is not automatic—it requires deliberate action. We need to ask hard questions about who is at the table and who stands to benefit from investments, both in the short and long term. Inclusivity must extend beyond rhetoric to ensure representation in decision-making and tangible outcomes. When investment aligns with the vision of an inclusive region, we ensure that everyone—not just a select few—shares in the progress. Every assessment we’ve done on the future promise of the city stresses the need for inclusive investment and shared economic prosperity.Grow Business and Industry
Economic vibrancy is driven by thriving businesses. As Drew’s article emphasizes about Detroit—and as we know from experience—value-producing incentives are essential. The value created must exceed the incentive for it to make sense. The article points out that businesses often need early-stage support and incentives to establish roots and scale. Regional investments must align with efforts to attract and grow businesses in the city, fostering an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive, industries can diversify, and economic activity flourishes.Invest in People and Place
Downtown St. Louis needs critical mass—of businesses, residents, and visitors—to truly thrive. This requires investment in both people and place. Workforce development is key to preparing residents for emerging opportunities, while targeted investments in downtown infrastructure, safety, and cultural amenities will drive regional vibrancy. A thriving downtown benefits everyone, creating ripple effects that reduce crime, attract businesses, and inspire civic pride.
I appreciated the tone from some of the debate on “multiple downtowns” or downtown investment versus neighborhood investment, where it was suggested, “this isn’t binary.” That’s exactly right. If we’re growing population, commercial activity, and revenue to support local places, this becomes a moot point.
This is where we must get—to growth. Achieving growth will require initial focused capital and intense debate to get the vision right. Once we get the vision right, the region will resume its path to sustainable progress.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Race and Economics
One of St. Louis’ greatest strengths is its people, yet one of its most significant challenges lies in addressing race and economic inequities. These issues are deeply intertwined with decision-making processes and investment allocation. Acknowledging and addressing these dynamics—without dismissing their impact on perceptions of leadership and the nuances of debate—is essential for building trust and fostering genuine collaboration. Progress requires both structural changes and cultural shifts, approached with openness, honesty, and a commitment to equity.
Final Thought
St. Louis has the potential to be an economic powerhouse, but reaching that potential requires vision, inclusivity, and commitment. By learning from others, investing in people and place, and fostering bold leadership, we can transform St. Louis into a thriving, inclusive, and vibrant city. The time to act is now. Let’s build the city we want to leave for future generations.
For more insights visit orvinkimbrough.com