SLATE Works With Spinnaker To Develop Downtown St. Louis

Spinnaker St. Louis is a real estate development firm responsible for the transformation of the former Dillard's Building and St. Louis Centre. Under the direction of Amos Harris, Spinnaker St. Louis is currently working to redevelop the Mercantile Exchange (MX), activating a new, vibrant mixed-use entertainment, dining and retail district. Located near the intersection of 7th Street and Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis, the MX, when completed, will boast an Embassy Suites Hotel, several restaurants, residential apartments, retail stores, and public viewing areas for concerts/events. The development is also the planned home for the National Blues Museum and a 3-screen luxury cinema.

In order to help qualify for a New Market Tax Credit, Spinnaker has worked with SLATE since early 2012. Specifically, a qualifying project must commit to local job creation, particularly for disadvantaged local residents. SLATE's Business Development Department has worked closely with Mr. Harris and Spinnaker, marketing job openings to St. Louis City residents and delivering qualified applicants through focused recruitment and participation in job fairs. To date, approximately 500 individuals have been referred from SLATE, with 82 placed in full-time positions such as chef, housekeeping, server, concierge and maintenance.

SLATE's work with Spinnaker has proven to be an outstanding example of a public/private partnership. As additional phases of the MX development are completed and new businesses are opened, SLATE will continue to apply its expertise to outreach and local job creation. Jay Swoboda, Spinnaker St. Louis' MX District Manager/Director of Marketing and Events, looks forward to an ongoing and expanding partnership: "I'm glad to work with our employers to educate them more about the services offered by SLATE and the wide variety of applicants you train and support," he states.