Some of our region’s greatest opportunities for growth are in communities that have waited too long for meaningful investment.

That is why I see promise in St. Louis County’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 direction. It creates an opening to connect housing, workforce development, commercial revitalization, and industrial investment in ways that strengthen communities and expand the regional economy.

Cities like Kinloch and Berkeley, and the 24:1 Community footprint across North St. Louis County, belong at the center of that strategy.

As a former Chief Opportunity Zone Officer for the City of St. Louis, Berkeley Economic Development Director, and Senior Director of Economic Development at Beyond Housing, I have approached this work from several perspectives. One lesson remains consistent: a designation is most valuable when a community has the vision, people, partnerships, projects, and capacity to put Opportunity Zone tools to work.

Build on the work already underway

Beyond Housing’s work in the 24:1  Community collaborative network of municipalities demonstrates why that foundation matters.

Working alongside residents, municipal leaders and partners, Beyond Housing has connected housing, family support, education and economic development. Its investments in homes and commercial spaces are part of a broader effort to strengthen families, support businesses and stabilize neighborhoods.

The relationships and local capacity, developed through that work, matter just as much as the buildings. They help communities identify priorities, coordinate partners, and sustain progress.

Having worked within that effort, I know new investment enters a community with an existing history, vision, and network of people doing the work. Opportunity Zone patient capital should build on that foundation.

Connect housing, jobs, and business growth

In Berkeley and Kinloch, industrial and commercial development should advance alongside neighborhood priorities. Productive sites and new employers can help strengthen the tax base, but the strategy must also address infrastructure, environmental conditions, and nearby residents’ quality of life.

Across the 24:1 footprint, housing rehabilitation, new development, and stronger commercial corridors can reinforce those employment opportunities.

The questions are practical: Can residents access the jobs? Are workforce partners preparing people for actual openings? Can workers find quality housing they can afford? Are local businesses positioned to serve employers and compete for contracts?

Proximity to investment does not automatically create access to opportunity. Those connections must be intentional.

Make participation part of the strategy

Investment in Black communities should create opportunities for Black residents, entrepreneurs, developers, and contractors to participate and build wealth.

That requires technical assistance, access to financing, clear development processes, and meaningful roles for local organizations. It also requires attention to existing residents’ ability to remain as neighborhoods improve.

These outcomes need to be part of project planning and partnership discussions from the beginning.

Turn the Opportunity Zone 2.0 designation into a development strategy

Missouri’s new designations begin January 1, 2027, and will remain in place for ten years. That provides a meaningful planning horizon.

The next step is to prepare viable projects: clarify ownership, assess site conditions, understand financing gaps, and connect investment opportunities with community priorities. Organizations such as Beyond Housing bring experience and relationships that can help inform that work.

Opportunity Zone equity is one financing tool. Communities will still need other resources to address infrastructure, affordability, and projects that cannot attract private capital on their own. The strategy must also reach beyond designated census tract boundaries to connect surrounding neighborhoods with the benefits of growth.

St. Louis County has an opportunity to demonstrate that investing in communities that have experienced disinvestment is a serious regional growth strategy.

Kinloch, Berkeley, and the 24:1 Community have assets worth investing in. The task now is to connect those assets and opportunities with capital and ensure the people already there share in the opportunities created.

Daffney Moore, Ph.D.

Economic Development & Municipal Executive | Opportunity Zone Strategist | Former City Manager & Chief of Staff