State of Missouri has committed up to $131 million to keeping site in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, MO – Gov. Jay Nixon today joined St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay and other state, local and federal officials to announce new developments in the joint effort to keep the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) in St. Louis.
A coordinated effort by state and local leaders has resulted in a proposal that meets all of NGA’s criteria and makes the north St. Louis site the clear choice for its new state-of-the-art western headquarters. Today, the Mayor announced that the City is able to further strengthen its proposal by delivering the 99-acre site to the NGA for free.
“This is a transformational opportunity for St. Louis – and for the NGA,” Gov. Nixon said. “Locating its new state-of-the-art headquarters in the heart of St. Louis will give the NGA access to the talent, technology, amenities and infrastructure it needs to continue protecting our nation here at home and enhancing security around the globe. Today’s announcement further strengthens the City’s proposal and makes the NGA’s choice even clearer. St. Louis is where the NGA has made its home for more than 70 years, and St. Louis is far and away the best place for the NGA to build a brighter, more secure future.”
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is moving out of its current location south of downtown St. Louis and is currently considering whether to locate its new $1.75 billion western headquarters and 3,100 jobs in Missouri or in Illinois. The City of St. Louis is offering a well-connected, 99-acre urban site at the intersection of N. Jefferson and Cass Avenues. If selected, the project will revitalize an urban community, while also ensuring the NGA has access to a highly-educated workforce. A decision is expected on April 1.
Gov. Nixon has been a steadfast supporter of keeping the NGA in St. Louis. Last year, Gov. Nixon signed into law House Bill 514 to help keep the NGA and its thousands of high-paying jobs in St. Louis. The legislation provides additional capacity in the State Supplemental Tax Increment Financing program so that this performance-based redevelopment program can accommodate the NGA project.
Gov. Nixon also travelled to Washington D.C. where he met with NGA Director Robert Cardillo, to convey the state’s full support of keeping the operation in St. Louis. In May of 2015, Gov. Nixon and Missouri Economic Development Director Mike Downing toured the existing NGA site in St. Louis and met with senior NGA officials including Deputy Chief of Staff Ed Donaldson and Program Director Susan Pollmann.
Gov. Nixon also spoke at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ public meeting in St. Louis, urging the NGA to keep its western headquarters in St. Louis.
If the St. Louis Development Corporation is successful in its efforts to retain the NGA, the State of Missouri, through the Department of Economic Development, has agreed to make available up to $95 million in Tax Incremental Financing and approximately $36 million in Brownfield Tax Credits.
The proposed NGA site is located within a federally-designated Promise Zone, which the Governor worked actively with state and local leaders to obtain.
