If you’ve ever lived in a town with nothing but a McDonald’s and a gas station, you probably understand the excitement that comes over you when you find out some behemoth of a development has decided to post up shop in your town. Now the question is why would they want to locate in your town, and not the one down the way already fully developed. Part of the reason might be because of what Alison Engelhardt provides as part of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. She is the Assistant Vice President for New Market Tax Credits, or tax credits you can receive for choosing to locate in an area less developed than other prime property in the area. When learning about how this works, I was reminded of the Ted Talk from Edi Rama about how paint can help take back your city.
Similar to how a fresh coat of paint can help take back your city, that brand new manufacturing building or corporate office can help provide that spark needed to inspire other businesses to locate in their vicinity and bring needed economic dollars to the area. Our environment is ultimately what fosters our ability to innovate and grow, but beyond the infrastructure and resources that help breathe life back into cities, the catalysts that makes all of it possible are people like Alison. Their passion for life and the St. Louis community are contagious and are what encourage people like me to get involved, learn more about new opportunities, and further pursue ways to build and innovate in the St. Louis community.