Development climate and incentive competitiveness
At a glance
- What: Debate over why new construction is slow in St. Louis and how tight incentive rules affect competitiveness with other municipalities.
- Where it stands: Discussed October 20, 2026; no vote. Alderperson Browning cited falling building permits and developer complaints; Whitson said past overuse of TIFs and abatements led to new rules and asked for a year or two without changes.
- Figures cited: abated parcels down from about 3,700 (2016) to about 1,500; over 16,000 tax-exempt parcels; over 25,000 vacant parcels; about 88 municipalities in the region.
- Next: Members want predictability, a clear prevailing wage standard and active compliance monitoring.
Sources
- 2026-10-20 - Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee (committee video, auto-captions)
- https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/eventdetails.cfm?Event_ID=55660 (committee agenda)
Discussion time
About 10 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-20 - Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee | 10 |
Log
- 2026-10-20 - Housing, Urban Development & Zoning Committee - Browning asked about roadblocks to development; SLDC and members discussed competitiveness and safeguards; no vote.