ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Development Corporation has hired T. Christopher Peoples to oversee neighborhood revitalization and small-business support, with his start planned for November.
SLDC announced October 22 that Peoples will become vice president of place-based initiatives. The position combines oversight of neighborhood managers with leadership of business-assistance programs and efforts to strengthen commercial corridors.
The role includes the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, technical assistance for businesses, neighborhood business support and entrepreneurship programs. The appointment places those services within the same executive portfolio as geographically focused neighborhood work.
Peoples comes from Great Rivers Greenway, where the agency’s staff directory identifies him as director of equity and economic impact. SLDC also says he served as acting executive director of Brickline North Community Development Corporation.
For business owners, the practical connection is to programs already operating through SLDC. The Northside Economic Empowerment Center lists help with licensing, certification, marketing, back-office operations and access to lending or grant opportunities.
The center is at the William J. Harrison Education Center, 3140 Cass Ave., and lists hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Its website provides an intake portal for people seeking assistance.
Business owners can use the center’s intake portal to request help and identify the services relevant to their operations. Peoples’ November start will bring executive oversight of that support network together with SLDC’s neighborhood implementation and commercial-corridor work.
Sources: SLDC’s October 22 appointment announcement; Great Rivers Greenway staff directory; Northside Economic Empowerment Center services and intake
