Sunshine Gerry
@gconnolly314.bsky.social
620 followers 420 following 2K posts
Transparency & Tax Breaks in the City of St. Louis Submit Sunshine Requests: https://tinyurl.com/ce76ppm6 STL Gov Public Meetings: https://tinyurl.com/yz382m89 City of STL videos: https://tinyurl.com/4at469rk SLDC videos: https://tinyurl.com/544c2n8e
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gconnolly314.bsky.social
“It’s tough to see the full economic picture, given that a lot of it is not publicly disclosed…So all those benefits I listed are, of course, offset by any potential property tax abatement, sales tax abatements, other forms of abatements — & tax benefits include no tax on the (building) materials..”
gconnolly314.bsky.social
More #consultantfest contracts at Thursday’s SLDC board meeting.

I thought Mayor Spencer would drop candid like a hot potato, given her comments (while on the SLDC board) about prior candid contracts.

Candid is being chosen from a list of pre-approved firms. Was an RFP was issued?
$16,500/month! 👀
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Hey Mayor @caraspencer.bsky.social

Today's #EandA meeting was noticed as being conducted via Zoom. You can't kick attendees from the public off the Zoom when the board voted to go into closed session.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
City of St. Louis Board of #EandA is meeting now via Zoom; started at 2:10 p.m.
Standard agenda (approval of contracts, fund transfers etc.) + a closed session.
www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/event...
Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/Wxu5Zk8...
gconnolly314.bsky.social
City of St. Louis Board of #EandA is meeting now via Zoom; started at 2:10 p.m.
Standard agenda (approval of contracts, fund transfers etc.) + a closed session.
www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/event...
Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/Wxu5Zk8...
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Mayor Spencer should 📞 Greenstreet’s CEO & demand he pay his tax debts.

“The reality is we don’t have a reliable funding stream for that infrastructure for as long as I’ve been in city government,” she says, adding the deficit of roadway maintenance runs into the millions of dollars each year.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Agreed!

Sadly within the last 18 months the City has authorized personal property tax abatements for Anheuser-Busch, Anders CPA & C2N Diagnostics.

In 2024 he PIEA* board approved real & personal property tax abatements for the ICL battery plant. No BOA approval was required.
*Staffed by SLDC
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Interview with Alderlady Clark-Hubbard (10th)

Some residents, she said, are living in tents, cars or tornado-damaged properties because they have nowhere to go.
“I heard this morning that we are projected to have a bad winter,” she said. “I am beyond scared for those constituents that are out here”
stlpublicradio.bsky.social
St. Louis Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard still sees devastation in her 10th Ward months after the May 16 tornado.

“I can go in another neighborhood and see a constituent whose house still looks like May 16, and they don't know which way to turn.”
St. Louis Alderwoman Clark Hubbard says storm recovery is uneven in her 10th Ward
Two of Shameem Clark Hubbard’s constituents died in the tornado, and all eight of the neighborhoods in the 10th Ward north and east of Forest Park sustained some level of damage.
www.stlpr.org
gconnolly314.bsky.social
“It’s tough to see the full economic picture, given that a lot of it is not publicly disclosed…So all those benefits I listed are, of course, offset by any potential property tax abatement, sales tax abatements, other forms of abatements — & tax benefits include no tax on the (building) materials..”
gconnolly314.bsky.social
The St. Louis Development Corp. board meets 10/16 in the main board room
tinyurl.com/367pzzuv
SLDC staff kicked me out of conference room B prior to the 9/18 meeting, relegating me to watch via Zoom in conference room A. The reason given (seats were needed for other attendees) was bogus
#opaCITYstl
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Be wary of promises that are not in writing.

FYI: SLDC has 30 days to review projects for which St. Louis Midtown Redev. Corp.* wants to authorize tax abatement. SLDC's review is conducted in secret.

The #ArmoryTIF district is eligible for up to 25 years tax abatement.

* #SLU353 Master developer
stlrainbow.bsky.social
This whole proposal is a mess in a myriad of ways, and I don't trust the tax generation numbers at all, but it is good to see a rather firm swearing off of tax abatement by SLU/Midtown Redevelopment. BoA should terminate the existing TIF encompassing the site, though.
www.stlmag.com/business/tow...
Town hall on Midtown data center brings out critics—and promises of no tax abatement
A data center proposed for St. Louis’ Midtown neighborhood drew hostile questions from city residents last night, with broad concerns and skepticism about the purported benefits of a $600 million data...
www.stlmag.com
Reposted by Sunshine Gerry
stlrainbow.bsky.social
Something the Board of Aldermen can do is amend the ordinance governing tax incentives to prohibit source of income discrimination for those developments. We don't want to incentivize discrimination.
stlrainbow.bsky.social
Sucks to see rental postings in STL City discriminating against housing voucher holders and there's nothing you can do about it anymore. (The city's ordinance prohibiting source of income discrimination was preempted by a new state law this past session.)
gconnolly314.bsky.social
It's wild that SLDC & the BOA went along with Cepeda's tax abatement package for the Melbourne, despite his obvious lack of capacity to execute the project.

#LCRAstl approved the #3601Lindell tax abatement, despite being informed of Cepeca's debts to the city pertaining to other properties.
nextstl.com
The Castle on Cabanne is for sale after a failed rehab by the same outfit that didn't follow through on the Melbourne at Grand and Lindell now under rehab by Midtown Alley developer Jassen Johnson.
It could be yours!
www.realtor.com/realestatean...
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Starting at 11 a.m. today.
It’s the St. Louis BOA Lobbyist of the Year show, aka #HUDZ Committee meeting.
Testify via Zoom.

Will we hear from the City’s Clean Energy Development Board on #BOAbb80 ?
The #CEDBstl authorizes PACE financing for development projects. (#ArmoryTIF is delinquent, IIRC)
stateofstlouis.bsky.social
11 am Today St Louis City BOA HUDZ Cmte
www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/event...

Alders will be rubberstamping more developer crap

🤬 #BB80 fiscal note was written by, as is bill, lobbyist David Sweeney. Alders should be ashamed of themselves.

🤬 #BB82 is a Downtown land grab by a developer
Fiscal Note written by lobbyist David Sweeney for St. Louis City Board of Aldermen legislation Summary

Board Bill Number 82

Introduced by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge

October 10, 2025

This Board Bill seeks to authorize and direct the Mayor and Comptroller of the City of St. Louis to quit claim to 900 N Tucker Building, LLC, a Missouri limited liability company, its successors and assigns, an affiliate and subsidiary of The StarWood Group, LLC, a Missouri limited liability company, those certain parcels of real estate belonging to the City of St. Louis located at 1134 and 1138 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, forming portions of the plaza commonly known as "Interco Plaza", the balance of which is already owned by 900 N Tucker Building, LLC.

The proposed Bill will have a positive impact on the community, as it will help promote local commercial activity and generate tax revenue for the City of St. Louis.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
The second developer-sponsored “community engagement” town hall on data center 1 (of at least 2) starts at 5:30 p.m. today at 2319 Chouteau.

Let me know if you see any live-streaming options.

Be one of Those Meddling Kids & pull the mask off #DataCenterSTL
#500Prospect in the #ArmoryTIF district.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
For an unknown reason, the Soulard taxing districts cannot post their meetings on the correct calendar. Do they not want residents to attend?👀
stateofstlouis.bsky.social
#TransparencyFail No Way To Run A Govt #395641 & #395642

🧵 🤬 Both Soulard tax districts meet this evening in violation of St. Louis City Exec Order 60 requiring meeting notice & agenda be posted to City Public Meeting Calendar. Both have notices on Entertainments Calendar.
Screenahot of City Entertainments Calendar showing Soulard CID and Soulard SBD meetings St. Louis City Executive Order 60
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Precisely!

In addition to #700spring, I think THO/Greenstreet are targeting the Goodwill warehouse at #3728Market & adjacent property at #3852Market for a potential 4th data center.

#datacenterSTL
#500Prospect
#GreenstreetBailout
gconnolly314.bsky.social
ICYMI: @stlpublicradio.bsky.social coverage of the developer’s first propaganda campaign town hall, held on Oct. 9 via Zoom.
Be warned: any financials provided by consultant Steadfast City for the proposed data center at #500Prospect shouldn’t be trusted.
#ArmoryTIF #SLU353

bsky.app/profile/gcon...
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Report on the Oct. 12 #DataCenterSTL Town Hall by @kavahnmansouri.bsky.social

“City residents deserve information & input into the decision-making process for industrial uses that cause harm to health & environment,” said Maxine Gill, a member of the MO Coalition for the Environment.”

#ArmoryTIF
gconnolly314.bsky.social
AKA: The Steadfast Grifters of Corporate Welfare Propaganda Show, part 2.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
It’s a tragic situation.

Also infuriating that the City of St. Louis government appears to have done nothing to address public safety during construction, despite the alarm being raised consistently for years.

Photos taken on the Kingshighway side of the #4974Lindell site on 7.25.25
Screen capture image of Bluesky post by by Sunshine Gerry on 7.25.25. Image includes two photographs taken on the Kingshighway side of the 4974Lindell (Albion tower) construction site on the same day.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Notable difference between yesterday’s community town hall & the U. City TIF Commission meeting in 2018: U City had armed police stationed inside and outside the meeting venue, with a drone circling over the parking lot.
#STLmeetingtrivia
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Good morning St. Louisans!☀️
9 a.m. today:
City of St. Louis Board of Equalization meeting.
Calendar notice was posted less than 24 hrs in advance. The linked document is not a proper agenda.
Items inc:
Short term rentals
Assessment adjustments for
tornado damage

www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/event...
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Starting soon!
Community Town Hall on #DataCenterSTL
I haven’t seen a line so long since the first U. City TIF hearing in 2018.
gconnolly314.bsky.social
The comms/marketing team at Cortec has been prolific over the past month. I suspect this activity to subside after the St. Louis Board of Aldermen approves #BOAbb68
gconnolly314.bsky.social
🫡 Before the image loaded I thought you’d tracked down James Conway
gconnolly314.bsky.social
Otis is back in the tax abatement seat, so the project may be back on track.