Federal, State Tax Credits Revitalize Downtown St. Louis

Since 2000, more than $3.5 billion has been invested in downtown, including condominiums, retail, restaurants, and the new St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium. According to Dick Fleming, head of St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, the city is a leader in using federal and state tax credits for development. In fact, state tax credits sparked 90 percent of new investment downtown since 1998. "What's happened in St. Louis in the last five years is the center city has become a crown jewel rather than something for which we had to apologize," Fleming says. However, community activists are concerned that new development is not inclusive, especially for the city's African-Americans, who make up 53 percent of the population.