About Project Connect

Project Connect is an action plan focused on connecting development projects and community enhancements in the neighborhoods north of Downtown, including the future home of the NGA West.

Project Connect is a City of St. Louis initiative to create alignment between the people, current and future plans and projects within eight neighborhoods surrounding the future site of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West campus in North St. Louis. Project Connect ensures coordination and collaboration between neighborhood revitalization, transportation, and other re-development efforts and the City’s investments to support NGA.

NGA is a major project in the City, but it is just one component of the City’s efforts to reinvest and reinvigorate the community. The goal of Project Connect is to work with citizens to determine how to best utilize public funding opportunities and investments in the neighborhoods of St. Louis Place, Carr Square, Old North, JeffVanderLou, Columbus Square, Downtown West, Hyde Park, and North Riverfront.

There was a series of community engagements to solicit community input to identify priority programs or projects where City investment might create the greatest community benefit. Projects such as new street improvements, park enhancements, and enhanced safety measures are just a few examples of what could be identified, but we expect more ideas to come from the community. In addition, as evidenced in the NGA facility in Arnold, stores, restaurants, services, business and industry that were aligned with NGA moved nearby the facility bringing new investments, new jobs, and other community benefits.

After NGA's large-scale construction is complete, N. Jefferson and Cass Avenues will be enhanced to balance traffic needs with pedestrian and bicycle safety; and security of the neighborhood will be enhanced with additional lighting, security measures, and cameras. We will ask the community to help develop these projects and define other priority investments. We will continue to work with local developers to cultivate project opportunities consistent with neighborhood priorities.