Real Estate
St. Louis County Port Authority
What The Port Does
To advance its broad statutory purposes, the Port Authority’s powers include acquiring property, planning for development, developing real estate, entering into contracts and issuing bonds. The state statute also allows the Port Authority to implement certain specialized economic development programs.
Consistent with its statutory purposes and powers, the Port Authority has undertaken or supported a wide range of economic and community development initiatives, including the Community Investment Fund. Our work has also included a comprehensive redevelopment effort in the Lemay community that focused on re-use of vacant properties, enhancing public infrastructure and supporting the development of new housing, commercial, retail and community spaces. The Port Authority also facilitates the redevelopment of under-utilized properties, such as the former St. Louis County Family Courts building and the former Jamestown Mall through planning and site preparation activities (remediation, demolition etc.) requisite for new development.
Funding for economic and community development initiatives led or supported by the Port Authority, including the Community Investment Fund, comes from rental payments made by Penn National Gaming, the current operator of River City Casino. The Port Authority worked with Pinnacle Entertainment, now Penn National, to repurpose an abandoned brownfield as a gaming and entertainment complex. The rental payments are an on-going source of revenue that are re-invested in activities and programs that benefit St. Louis County.
The Port’s General Purposes
Established by St. Louis County pursuant to Missouri state statute, the St. Louis County Port Authority (Port Authority) has four broad purposes related to economic and community development:
- Promoting the general welfare;
- Encouraging private capital investment by fostering the creation of industrial facilities and industrial parks within the port district;
- Endeavoring to increase the volume of commerce; and
- Promoting the establishment of a Foreign-Trade Zone within the port district.
The Port Authority is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners selected from each of the St. Louis County Council districts.
Community Fund Investment - Coming Soon
The St. Louis County Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund supports economic and community development projects. Information and links will be posted here as they are available.