Strengthening
Neighborhood
Business Districts
Building vibrant commercial corridors across St. Louis.
Commerce at the Heart of Community
Driving economic activity and supporting neighborhood commercial corridors across the central corridor of St. Louis.
Strong commercial corridors are essential to healthy neighborhoods. They create places where residents gather, entrepreneurs grow businesses, and communities build economic opportunity.
Park Central Development facilitates place-based commercial and corridor development across the central corridor of St. Louis, working with business owners, property owners, neighborhood organizations, and institutions to strengthen neighborhood business districts and support vibrant local economies.
Through coordinated investment, small business support, district management, and partnerships with community stakeholders, Park Central helps create thriving commercial corridors where people want to live, work, and visit.
Park Central supports some of the most dynamic commercial corridors in St. Louis, including The Grove along Manchester Avenue and the Euclid South corridor in the Central West End. These districts feature a vibrant mix of restaurants, retail, nightlife, and neighborhood businesses that attract visitors from across the region.
Through partnerships with business owners, property owners, and neighborhood organizations, Park Central helps ensure these corridors remain vibrant, safe, and economically strong.
Neighborhood Management
Park Central provides district management services that support successful commercial corridors.
- 01Management of Community Improvement Districts and Special Business Districts
- 02Safety and security coordination
- 03Streetscape and infrastructure improvements
- 04District marketing and branding
- 05Business engagement and community events
- 06Clean and green district initiatives
These services help create clean, welcoming districts that support businesses, residents, and visitors.
The Eric Outlaw Business Center
Local businesses are the heart of neighborhood commercial corridors. Park Central works to support entrepreneurs, strengthen existing businesses, and build a sustainable small business ecosystem throughout the neighborhoods it serves.
A central component of this work is the Eric Outlaw Business Center (EOBC), Park Central's business incubator and entrepreneurial support hub.
Through the EOBC and related business service programs, Park Central provides direct support to entrepreneurs and small businesses at every stage of growth.
Visit EOBC at eobcstl.com- Promoting entrepreneurship
- Supporting business growth and sustainability
- Providing accessible business education
- Facilitating access to capital and funding opportunities
- Offering individualized business counseling and mentorship
- Fostering an inclusive and diverse business community
- Building strong community partnerships
- Encouraging innovation and technology adoption
- Tracking and measuring economic impact
Stay In Place Program
Park Central also operates the Stay In Place Program, which helps existing neighborhood businesses remain in place by providing targeted support, technical assistance, and professional services that strengthen long-term business stability.
The program helps small businesses navigate challenges, access resources, and position themselves for continued growth within neighborhood commercial corridors.
Keeping Businesses Rooted in the Neighborhood
Park Central also operates the Stay In Place Program, which helps existing neighborhood businesses remain in place by providing targeted support, technical assistance, and professional services that strengthen long-term business stability.
The program helps small businesses navigate challenges, access resources, and position themselves for continued growth within neighborhood commercial corridors.
Measurable Results
Through the Eric Outlaw Business Center and its business development programs, Park Central has supported entrepreneurs, strengthened neighborhood business districts, and helped small businesses grow across the commercial corridors and communities it serves in St. Louis.
Supporting small businesses with accounting, legal assistance, and financial planning services to help secure capital and strengthen financial stability.
Entrepreneurs received assistance including business planning, marketing support, financial guidance, mentorship, and event placement for increased exposure.
Businesses received free marketing resources designed to increase visibility and strengthen customer engagement.
Park Central built partnerships with local organizations, taxing districts, and established businesses to support a strong retail incubator ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs.
Districts We Manage and Support
Park Central Development helps manage and support commercial districts that serve thousands of residents, businesses, and visitors across St. Louis.
Park Central manages and supports several special taxing districts that help fund safety, beautification, marketing, and economic development within neighborhood commercial corridors.
Park Central Development is one of the leading managers of community improvement districts and neighborhood business districts in the St. Louis region, helping strengthen commercial corridors and support vibrant neighborhood economies.
Corridors We Support
These commercial corridors generate more than $150 million in annual retail sales and attract over 2 million visitors each year, making them some of the most active neighborhood commercial districts in St. Louis.
Park Central works with neighborhood leaders, businesses, and institutions to strengthen several important commercial corridors across the central corridor of the city.
Building Economically Resilient Neighborhoods
Commercial districts supported by Park Central attract over 2 million unique visitors each year and generate more than $150 million in annual retail sales, contributing significantly to the St. Louis economy.
Park Central's work helps:
- Strengthen neighborhood business districts
- Support small business growth
- Maintain clean and green commercial corridors
- Improve public spaces and infrastructure
- Create vibrant destinations for residents and visitors
By supporting strong commercial corridors and small business development, Park Central helps build neighborhoods that are economically resilient, walkable, and full of opportunity.