North St. Louis County Readies for Development

Being a central urban county is not easy from an economic development perspective. Everything is harder, including getting cooperation to develop large sites for future business expansion.

A plan to transform a largely vacant area with a rocky redevelopment history into a vibrant business park with nearly 12,000 new jobs is gaining steam in north St. Louis County.

The 479-acre site, just east of Lambert Field, was once a residential community of older homes that largely was emptied over two decades in an airport-noise buyout program.

For years, the site sat dormant as three cities stalled in their efforts to compete for new development. Now, the cities - Kinloch, Berkeley and Ferguson - will pool their land and efforts.

Together, they're endorsing a plan to turn the site into a rare commodity in built-out St. Louis County: a large tract of open, developable land.

When the park is built out in an estimated 20 years, it would have offices and manufacturers and would benefit the local economy to tune of $6.4 billion, according to a report prepared by consultant Jones Lang LaSalle.

With a prime location near Lambert Field and close to several interstate highways, the site will appeal to suppliers for Ford Motor Co., Boeing Co. and other nearby large employers, developers say.

But before they can begin preparing the site, the cities and the economic council face a lengthy slate of meetings, decisions and red tape.

Specifically, they must iron out a tax-increment-financing plan to fund $22.2 million in site work, choose one or more developers and negotiate a deal to buy the land from the property's owners.

In addition, the planners must contend with what could be a major development headache: the remains of hundreds of crushed houses that are buried underground throughout the site.

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