LOCUS, a sister national organization of Smart Growth America, this past week featured the 1,500-acre NorthSide Regeneration mixed-use development here in St. Louis as one of the “Top 5 LOCUS development opportunities” in the nation to keep an eye on. Other developments cited were in Los Angeles, Nebraska, and two in North Carolina.

Latin for “place,” LOCUS is a national coalition of real estate developers and investors who advocate for sustainable, equitable, walkable development in America’s metropolitan areas.

In its mission statement, LOCUS notes, “across the country demand is high for real estate in sustainable, walkable urban places. LOCUS brings together real estate developers and investors from across the country to advance policy at the local, state, and federal level and to build neighborhoods that are more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for America’s future.”

With the federal site selection decision in 2016 to build the $1.75 billion National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency new NGA/West Campus at the heart of the 1,500-acre NorthSide Development, the St. Louis business and civic communities have identified Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) as a significant economic development opportunity, including St. Louis becoming a Global GEOINT Hub.

LOCUS described the NorthSide Development opportunity as: “NorthSide Regeneration is the 1,500-acre mixed-use development surrounding the Next NGA West $1.75-billion new 100-acre campus for 3,100 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency employees. The centerpiece of NorthSide’s 1.73 million sq. ft. Innovation District is the GEOINT Village which includes 900,000 sq ft of office space, an innovation accelerator, a 120,000 sq ft SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), a conference hotel, retail outlets, and restaurants. This 34-acre NorthSide Innovation District is being built on the long-abandoned former Pruitt-Igoe public housing site in North St. Louis.”

Connected by a new Central Park, the southern half of this Innovation District is HealthWorks Village, which will include a new hospital, med school, nursing school and allied health care school of Ponce Health Sciences University. There will a combined 3,500 students and faculty and staff at the completed Ponce institutions.

A mixed-use Community District is being built immediately west of the NGA/West campus. Anchoring this District, will be the Carpenters Union Training Center which will recruit and train 2,000 students per year in the building trades.

Other uses planned for the Community District include new and historic renovation residential development and retail shops. North of this Community District is a Science Technology and Applied Research (STAR) District, providing expansion space for growing firms in the Innovation District and inbound firms.

The following overview of NorthSide Regeneration was presented at the recent U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation Geospatial Gateway Forum and SLU GEOResolution national conference:

NorthSide Home of Next NGA West from Solstice Productions on Vimeo.

NorthSide Regeneration is a key civic and economic development asset in St. Louis’ aspirations to become a Global Geospatial Intelligence Hub, as well as being a critical anchor in the community and economic development of North St. Louis.