Community Development Week Returns to City of St. Louis April 21–25

After a five-year pause, Community Development Week is back in the City of St. Louis! The City’s Community Development Administration (CDA) is excited to relaunch this award-winning celebration of neighborhood revitalization and public service. From Monday, April 21, to Friday, April 25, 2025, CDA and its partners will host a full slate of walking tours, networking events, public workshops, and more—highlighting the people and programs transforming St. Louis.

“We’re so excited to bring Community Development Week back for the first time since 2018,” said Nahuel Fefer, Executive Director of CDA. “Our team has grown significantly in recent years to administer COVID relief funds, more than doubling disbursement of federal funds and tripling the City’s affordable housing production pipeline. After everything our city has worked through during COVID, it means so much to celebrate progress together again.”

CDA is a past recipient of the John A. Sasso Award from the National Community Development Association in 2016, 2017, and 2018. This prestigious honor recognizes just fifteen cities nationwide for their innovation, partnerships, and impact during Community Development Week. CDA’s return to the tradition builds on that legacy. This year’s public events include:

• Choice Neighborhoods Walking Tour
  Monday, April 21 at 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Starts at Loretta Hall Park
  Explore Preservation Square housing, public art, and park improvements made possible through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
• Community Development Speed Networking
  Monday, April 21 at 4:00 PM –  UMSL at Grand Center
  Connect with leaders in affordable housing, economic development, and neighborhood planning through one-on-one mentoring conversations.
• CDA Open House
  Tuesday, April 22 at 9:00 AM – 1520 Market Street, 2nd Floor
  Meet CDA staff and learn how federal funds are used to improve lives in St. Louis City neighborhoods.
• Neighborhood Transformation Grants + Housing Production NOFA Workshop
  Thursday, April 24 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM – 1520 Market Street and via Zoom
  A hands-on training for affordable housing applicants. Mandatory for first-time applicants.
• Partners in Progress: An Appreciation Event
  Friday, April 25 at 5:00 PM – Happy hour at Intertwine Wine Bar, 4710 Virginia Ave
  Light refreshments, a cash bar, and special acknowledgments to community partners closing out the week.

In addition to these public events, CDA will host a number of other activities, including stakeholder engagement sessions and a bus tour for media and CDA stakeholders. To request a seat on the bus tour or inquire about other events, contact Tom Nagel at nagelt@stlouis-mo.gov.

CDA staff will also take part in a day of service on Wednesday, April 23, volunteering at a local child care center, their food pantry, and clothing closet to support partner organizations they fund throughout the year.

“Community Development Week gives us a chance to reflect, reconnect, and recommit to the work ahead,” Fefer said. “We invite everyone to come out, join the conversation, and see how public investment is helping build stronger, more vibrant communities.”

Also during Community Development Week, CDA will publish its 2020–2024 Impact Report—an accessible supplement to CDA’s annual federal compliance reporting–highlighting accomplishments since COVID, including historic ARPA investments, a dramatic ramp-up in housing production, expansion of home repair programs, and other neighborhood transformation efforts across the City of St. Louis.

 Subscribe to CDA's e-newsletter for updates at www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda/#subscribe

2025 Community Development Week is Sponsored by:

Premier Partner

Community Builder

Supporters

 

As part of CDA long-term strategy, CDA is also exploring a new Neighborhood Transformation Loan Program to provide grassroots developers with access to low-interest, non-federal capital to revitalize St. Louis’ most neglected neighborhoods. During Community Development, CDA seeks input on this proposed initiative, as well as thoughts on broader housing and development needs. Please click here to take the Community Development Survey.

Please find and share 2025 Community Development Week event flyers below. 

 

About the Community Development Administration (CDA): The CDA serves as the City of St. Louis' hub for federal, state, and local funds, implementing the Mayor's economic justice agenda. By funding public and nonprofit entities, the CDA supports a wide range of initiatives, including public services, affordable housing development, blight eradication, and other community development activities.