Comprehensive_Plan_2050.pdf

FLORISSANT

EMBRACING TRADITIONS | GROWING FUTURES

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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE

Adopted by the City of Florissant Planning & Zoning Commission

May 16, 2022

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Acknowledgements City of Florissant

Elected Officials

Planning & Zoning Commission

Senior Staff

Manager

Planning Team

H3 Studio, Inc.

Saint Louis University Community Planning Lab Bob Lewis, FAICP, CEcD Director

Horner & Shifrin Paul Wojciechowski,

FPA Group Julie Padberg-White Founder

Mayor’s Steering Committee

Commission

Transportation

Special Thanks To...

Cheryl Entwistle, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, for coordinating the scheduling, setup, and refreshments at Steering Committee Meetings; Kirstie Chase, Director of the Eagan Center and Janice Steib, Director of the JFK Center, for coordination setup at the Public Workshops; the Florissant police officers who provided public safety at Steering Committee Meetings and Public Workshops; the City Hall and community center staff who set up and cleaned up the meetings; and the residents, business owners, and stakeholders of Florissant who provided their time, expertise, and input for the development of this Plan.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Section 1: Community Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

Section 2: Physical Facilities Plans

Parks, Trails & Public Facilities Plan

Future Land Use Plan

Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Plan

Transportation & Connectivity Plan

Stormwater & Waterways Plan

Community Image & Identity Plan

Section 3: Implementation Plans

Appendix: Comprehensive Plan Maps

T h e C i t y o f F l o r i s s a n t , M i s s o u r i In tr o d u c ti o n

Florissant remains the primary shopping, dining, and community service destination in North St.

Louis County. The City is home to a well-travelled and well-utilized commercial corridor along Lindbergh Boulevard. Florissant has an extensive parks network with many unique recreational amenities, including an aquatic complex, covered outdoor ice rink, municipal golf course, and com-munity theater. Florissant is a growing healthcare services center as well, with BJC Northwest Healthcare, Siteman Cancer Center, and numer-ous other medical establishments. The City is well-known for its historic churches and private schools, and Old Town Florissant is one of the oldest colonial settlements in Missouri. Florissant is the only City is Missouri that was once home to a Catholic saint!

Introduction

As a mature city, however, Florissant finds itself in a phase critical to the City’s future. Florissant is fully-built-out, with very little land left for new development. Florissant’s existing housing stock, commercial properties, and infrastructure is aging, approaching market and functional obsolescence.

Set against a backdrop of flat regional growth and population decline in St. Louis County, the City of Florissant must actively establish its “competitive position” within the region, and then actively work to realize this Vision.

This Comprehensive Plan articulates a Com-munity Vision for the future of Florissant, and provides a long-range plan that builds upon the community’s strengths to address Florissant’s challenges and needs and position Florissant for a bright and vibrant future.

Florissant’s Community Vision:

Florissant distinguishes itself as one of the region’s premier historic communities with thriving neighborhoods, proximity to job centers, major retail, distinctive landscapes, rich historic and cultural assets, and the civic pride of those who call Florissant home. The City will continue to be known as a community with excellent public facilities, providing top-quality public services to its residents and businesses.

Florissant will be a choice, diverse, and vibrant place to live, work, shop, play, worship, raise a family, and retire—for this generation and future generations.

Florissant is a well-known community in the St. Louis region and, for many generations of St. Louisans, Florissant is North County. The largest municipality in St. Louis County, Florissant is the legacy of the region’s booming job and population growth following the Second World War. Today, Florissant is almost synonymous with Americana itself, well-known for its leafy neighborhoods, excellent civic services, and strong sense of community.

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How this Plan Will be Used Florissant 2050 builds upon the existing 2006 Comprehensive Plan and takes a different ap-proach to planning. With an established land use pattern, a framework is needed for decision-making, guided by a vision for the improvements needed to expand Florissant’s economic base, attract new residents, and achieve better quality of life. Rather than identify a specific “end state” for the City of Florissant, this Plan is structured as a guide and as a call to future action, based on a 20-year vision for the City.

This plan presents goals, strategies, and recom-mendations for the City, which are reasonable, feasible, and important to the welfare of the entire community. The value of the Plan will be mea-sured by the degree of success the community achieves in its implementation.

The effectiveness of the Plan is directly related to the continual recognition of the proposals which are included herein, by the Planning and Zoning Com-mission, the City Council, City staff, and the other appointed boards and commissions of the City.

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A Comprehensive Plan is an official document adopted by a city as a policy guide to decisions about the physical development of the community. The plan is not a regulatory ordinance, but a guide to be used when regulatory ordinances, such as the zoning ordi-nance, are developed and administered. The plan is not a detailed capital improvement program showing precise locations of public improvements and community facilities; it is used as a guide in the detailed planning that must occur before those facilities are built.

The plan is a comprehensive document in that it covers all portions of the city and all facilities that relate to development. Chapter 89, Section 89.350 of the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo) defines the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan.

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This Plan recognizes that no planning system can be entirely quantitative and objective. There will al-ways be a need for subjective judgment by elected and appointed officials, particularly in a mature community with established patterns and institu-tions. The key to successful planning in this environ-ment is to make subjective decisions that are wise, forward-thinking, and coordinated over time.

The Planning and Zoning Commission plays a critical role in the planning process and must be alert to the needs of the community. It must bring such needs to the attention of the City Council, as well as other agencies within the community hav-ing direct responsibility for public improvements.

The appraisal of local needs and the continued application of the planning principles set forth herein will assure maximum benefits from the Plan and will result in the orderly and economical attainment of the goals established in the Plan.

After formal adoption of the Florissant 2050 Plan, it becomes a tool for communicating the City’s land use policy and coordinating individual decisions into a consistent set of actions that harmoniously shape the City’s revitalization. The Plan supersedes all land use plans previously adopted by the City. It should be used to update and inform administration of the City’s existing Code and planning tools, which include, but may not be limited to the following:

plans (CIPs)

The Planning and Zoning Commission has an on-going responsibility to see that the Plan is imple-mented and updated as needed, to be responsive to changing conditions. City staff and appointed boards and commissions will have the Plan to guide them in decision-making. Close coopera-tion between the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission will be essential to proper administration of the Plan. Coordination with other governmental entities and jurisdictions will also be important to the realization of the City’s planning goals and recommendations.

To that end, the Florissant 2050 Plan is intended to be used in several ways:

1. As a Guide for Future Land Use Decisions

» To provide the Planning and Zoning Com-mission and City Council with an explicit statement of public policy to assist them in their weekly, monthly, and annual decision making on specific development and land use issues.

» To remove as much uncertainty as pos-sible from the development process, and thereby facilitate optimal location deci-sions on the part of businesses, house-holds, and developers.

» To provide administrative continuity through successive City administrations in dealing with development proposals, both public and private.

» To provide the community with confidence that recommendations in the Plan are based on the public’s participation and input, and that changes made in the com-munity will be gradual and sensitive to the public’s needs and interests.

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2. As an Outline for Public Facility Decisions

» To provide a framework for an orderly and reasonable implementation of the improvement projects recommended by the Plan, such as street improvements, streetscape improvements, sidewalks, storm water improvements, and communi-cation technology.

» To furnish a means of insuring that im-provement projects will be carried out concurrently with the community’s ability to pay so that their completion will not create an excessive tax burden.

3. As a Call to Action

To articulate and serve as a call to action on City initiatives, including the development of a network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, creation of walkable, place-based commercial and retail development, a central city-wide gathering space, and a comprehensive sustainability program.

This Plan represents a long-range (20-year) vision for the community. However, the Plan must be periodically reviewed and updated. It is sug-gested that, as part of implementation activities, the City establish a “community dashboard” of outcome management indicators on which the City can readily collect data. Using this dash-board, City staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission should track progress of Plan imple-mentation to assess Plan recommendations and to determine whether adjustments are needed to the Plan.

The Plan is intended to be flexible, so that it can respond to changing community conditions. At the same time however, the Plan should facilitate a proactive approach to the planning and deci-sion making process for the City. It recognizes that the City cannot predict the future, but it should equip itself to respond to and guide events to achieve a vision for the community.

Structure of the Plan This plan is organized into three (3) main sections, as follows:

Section 1: Community Goals This section identifies seven (7) community goals for the City, along with supporting Objectives and Strategies that provide an actionable roadmap for achieving these Goals. This section explains the existing conditions and context for the topic area covered by each Goal.

The following are the Community Goals::

» Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

» Old Town, History, Arts & Culture

» Housing, Parks & Neighborhood Amenities

» Education, Community Services & Programming

» Transportation, Connectivity & Infrastructure

» Community Equity, Sustainability & Resilience

» Community Identity, Branding & Marketing

Section 2: Physical Facilities Plans This sections contains the physical plans and recommendations, which provide additional details and guidance on implementing the Strategies presented in Section 1.

Section 3:

Implementation Plan This section provides guidance and priorities—a short-term road map—to assist with implementation of the Plan.

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Florissant 2050 is the product of a robust community outreach and en-gagement process, conducted over the course of ten (10) months. This Comprehensive Plan Update utilized six (6) key engagement activities:

» Mayor’s Steering Committee Meetings. Mayor Timothy Lowery convened a Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee of key community representa-tives to serve as a working group during the creation of the Plan. The Steer-ing Committee met four (4) times, at each phase of the planning process, to review work and provide guidance to the planning team. The Steering Com-mittee unanimously voted to endorse the draft plan on February 10, 2020.

» Public Workshops. The heart of the public planning process, the City of Florissant and the planning team conducted three (3) public workshops at key points throughout the development of the plan. These workshops were used to solicit issues, ideas, and priorities of plan, as well as to review and comment on draft recommendations. In addition, a dedicated 5-day, on-site charrette for Old Town was conducted in July and August, 2021.

» City Staff and Elected Official Retreats. The planning consultant con-ducted three (3) individual retreats with a joint assembly of City Department heads and the City Council. These retreats provided an opportunity to brief staff and elected officials on the emerging plan components and collect detailed feedback in a facilitate workshop.

» Resident and Stakeholder Focus Groups. At the outset of the planning process, the planning team conducted 27 interviews with individuals and small focus groups of community stakeholders. Feedback from this engage-ment provides insight on the issues and opportunities facing Florissant residents, business owners, and other community members and was used to help identify key priorities of the Comprehensive Plan.

» Community & Business Owner Surveys. Two separate surveys—one for residents and one for business owners—were developed and administered through SurveyMonkey to collect input on a variety of topics and conditions affecting Florissant. 1,123 people responded to the Community Survey, and 12 people responded to the Business Survey.

» Community Outreach: The planning team worked with Florissant’s com-munications team to produce materials and information that were presented in Florissant’s print and online publications and social media channels. In addition, the team participated in a variety of community events, including Wednesday Nights Out and the Senior Town Hall to present information and collect feedback.

Over 1,200 Florissant unique residents and non-resident stakeholders participated in this process, through over 1,350 individual points of con-tact. The key Community Priorities presented on the facing page were identified and prioritized by the community and are addressed in the Florissant 2050 Plan.

Creating the Plan

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Key Community Priorities

Improve connectivity to regional job centers along I-270, I-170, and I-70:

Florissant is within a 15-minute drive of more than 130,000 jobs.

Improve performance of the Ferguson-Florissant and Hazelwood School Districts: Quality public education is a top priority when people are deciding in which community to live. Florissant will continue to struggle to attract and retain residents if it is served by substandard school districts.

Reimagine and revitalize Lindbergh Boulevard: Lindbergh Boulevard is Florissant’s primary economic engine today. Proactively update and improve commercial amenities to remain relevant in the face of changing regional and national retail trends.

Improve Florissant’s job base diversity: The majority of Florissant’s jobs are in retail and hospitality, two volatile sectors with limited or negative projected regional growth.

Update and improve aging parks and recreation facilities: Florissant has an expansive and unique parks and recreation system, but most facilities are aging and do not meet the needs and desires of residents..

Make historic Old Town a regional destination: Old Town is one of the oldest colonial settlements in Missouri and the historic heart of Florissant, but it does not have the same regional recognition as Downtown Kirkwood or St. Charles Main Street.

Improve Coldwater Creek water quality and mitigate flood impacts:

Coldwater Creek—Florissant’s major geographic feature—is a liability and not an asset, posing flood risks and suffering from severe radiological contamination.

Enhance neighborhoods with new housing options and improved community amenities: Florissant’s housing is mostly market obsolete, with few viable options for larger or more affluent families or seniors wishing to age in place.

Maintain a strong community identity supported by long-standing civic and religious institutions and events: Continue to capitalize on an support the churches, schools, organizations, and events that make Florissant “Florissant”.

Rebrand Florissant to counter negative perceptions: Florissant has a largely-unfounded reputation—both regionally and nationally—as a beleaguered and unsafe community.

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Community Survey Summary

Residents were encouraged to access the survey via a link on the City of Florissant’s website, the Comprehensive Plan website, and internet-enabled devices were provided periodically at the James J. Eagan Civic Center, John F. Kennedy Community Center, and at Public Meetings. A total of 1,123 respondents completed the survey, 982 of whom are Florissant residents. This represents a Confidence Level of 99%, with a Margin of Error (Confidence Interval) of +/- 4 percent.

Survey-takers were polled on a variety of topics relating to community amenities and quality of life.

More than 82% of respondents have lived in Floris-sant more than 10 years, with less than 5 percent having lived in Florissant for less than 2 years.

Over 90 percent are homeowners, and nearly 98% live in single-family homes. Responses were well-distributed throughout the City.

SCHOOL QUALITY

Of responding households with school-age kids, 26% attend Ferguson-Florissant public schools, 29% attend Hazelwood public schools, and 27% attend a private religious school. More than 40% rated their school as average, and nearly 48% rated their school as below average or very poor.

SAFETY

Over 70% of respondents indicated that they feel safe in their neighborhood, while 16% indicating feeling somewhat unsafe or very unsafe. While negative feelings were distributed throughout the City, there was a small concentration west of Lindbergh Boulevard, south of Mullanphy Road and east of Lindbergh, south of Parker Road.

The Florissant Community Survey consisted of 31 questions—29 multiple choice questions and three (3) optional, open-ended feedback questions. The survey was developed jointly by the City of Florissant and planning team and was ad-ministered online via SurveyMonkey.

FIGURE 0.1: SCHOOL TYPE

FIGURE 0.2: SCHOOL QUALITY

FIGURE 0.3: NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY

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COMMUNITY AMENITIES

A majority or respondents (over 75%) indicated that they use parks and recreation facilities, grocery stores, retail stores, banks, gas stations, and restaurants. When polled on what kinds of places Florissant is missing, the top selections were retail stores (61%), restaurants (53%), and arts and cultural institutions (49%). Among retail stores, those with the highest use are hardware stores (84%), grocery stores (90%), fast food restaurants (77%), and casual dining restaurants (83%). If they can’t buy something in Florissant, respondents were most likely to travel to St.

Charles (72%), West County (41%), or Clayton / Brentwood / Richmond Heights (38%) to shop.

Restaurants were the top reason for people to visit Old Town, with 1.72 times the number compared to the second response of community events. This illustrates the need for everyday dining and entertainment amenities to create a vibrant Old Town.

QUALITY OF LIFE

77% of respondents indicated that healthcare facilities are average or better. 75% indicated that streets and sidewalks are average or worse. 89% indicated that parks and recreational amenities are average or better, and 88% indicated the same for City services. 84% indicated that the sense of community in Florissant is average or better, with 49% of those indicating above aver-age or excellent.

Finally, respondents were asked if they could “wave a magic wand” and change three (3) things about Florissant, what would they be? 716 survey-takers responded to this question. The top responses included improving streets and sidewalks; improving community safety, both from the standpoint of crime as well as traffic and pedestrian safety; improving the performance of the Ferguson-Florissant and Hazelwood public schools; and improving the quality and vibrance of Florissant’s commercial amenities.

In general, the Community Survey feedback is consistent with the in-person feedback received from stakeholders, Steering Committee members, and the community-at-large that were engaged in the other planning meetings and workshops.

FIGURE 0.4: WHAT TYPES OF PLACES IS

FLORISSANT MISSING?

FIGURE 0.5: WHAT OTHER LOCATIONS DO YOU

VISIT TO SHOP?

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T h e C i t y o f F l o r i s s a n t , M i s s o u r i

The Community Goals, Objectives, and Strategies of the Florissant Comprehensive Plan consist of seven (7) key Goals, 24 Objectives, and over 150 individual Strategies. The Goals, Objectives, and Strategies reflect the needs, and desires of the Florissant community. Together, they serve to achieve the community’s Vision on which the Comprehensive Plan is founded.

The Community Goals, Objectives, and Strate-gies include programming and municipal service initiatives, policy and partnership recommenda-tions, and physical development plans to build a more prosperous, vibrant, livable, and sustain-able Florissant for the next 20 years. Community Goals, Objectives, and Strategies were devel-oped with the input of the citizens of Florissant.

Section 1:

Community Goals, Objectives & Strategies

The Community Goals, Objectives, and Strate-gies are presented on the following pages. The Goal Statement is presented first, followed by the existing conditions in Florissant pertinent to that Goal. Following the existing conditions summary, each of the Goals’ associated Objectives and Strategies to assist Florissant in achieving the stated Goal. While Community Goals are num-bered, they are listed in random order and are not ordered by rank or priority.

Florissant’s Community Vision:

Florissant distinguishes itself as one of the region’s premier historic communities with thriving neighborhoods, proximity to job centers, major retail, distinctive landscape, rich historic and cultural assets, and the civic pride of those who call Florissant home. The City will continue to be known as a community with excellent public facilities, providing top-quality public services to its residents and businesses.

Florissant will be a choice, diverse, and vibrant place to live, work, shop, play, worship, raise a family, and retire—for this generation and future generations.

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Goal 1: Economic Development, Business & Job Growth Enhance community vitality and prosperity for all through business retention and growth, providing access to job training and high-quality jobs for residents, improving Florissant’s public revenue, and strengthening Florissant’s position as a major sub-regional retail center.

Goal 2: Old Town, History, Arts & Culture Grow Old Town as the heart of Florissant and a regional destination, celebrating Florissant’s unique history and leveraging arts, culture, and placemaking for authentic, local economic development.

Goal 3: Housing, Parks & Neighborhood Amenities Enhance Florissant’s desirability, identity, and the quality of life for all residents through top-quality housing options in strong and complete neighborhoods supported by excellent community parks and amenities.

Goal 4: Education, Community Services & Programming Expand the availability of high-quality education resources, community services, and community programs—especially for children, teens, and senior citizens—and improve access for all Florissant residents.

Goal 5: Transportation, Connectivity & Infrastructure Improve access to and connectivity across multiple modes of transportation including vehicular, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian, thereby increasing Florissant’s connections to regional job centers and amenities, public safety, and active living.

Goal 6: Community Equity, Sustainability & Resilience Create a healthy, resilient, and sustainable community by integrating environmental quality and community well-being into all public enhancements to ensure that all residents benefit from Florissant’s regeneration.

Goal 7: Community Identity, Branding & Marketing Reposition Florissant as a leading high-amenity, historic, affordable, and diverse community in the center of the region at the intersection of I-270 and I-170.

Florissant’s Community Goals:

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Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth Enhance community vitality and prosperity for all through business retention and growth, providing access to job training and high-quality jobs for residents, improving Florissant’s public revenue, and strengthening Florissant’s position as a major sub-regional retail center.

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FLORISSANT’S EMPLOYMENT BASE

As of 2018 (the most recent comprehensive data from the Census LEHD–Longitudinal Employer- Household Dynamics), Florissant is home 13,141 total jobs. This is a decrease of 1,709 jobs from 2002, when the total number of the jobs was 14,850. Compared to a total population of 52,533 (April, 2020), this is 25.0 jobs per 100 residents.

This jobs to population ratio is very low compared to other neighboring and peer communities; only Spanish Lake (16.6 jobs per 100 residents) and Old Jamestown (6.0 jobs per 100 residents) are lower (refer to Figure 1.1.1).

Florissant’s jobs are dominated by three (3) sec-tors; Retail (3,529 jobs), Health Care and Social Assistance (2,745 jobs), and Lodging and Dining (2,580 jobs). Combined, the retail and lodging and dining sectors account for over 46 percent of all jobs in Florissant (refer to Figure 1.1.2). These sectors are volatile job creators, with a high turn-over of both employees and businesses. Further-more, both of these sectors are rapidly changing and have been for the past three- to five-years.

Brick-and-mortar retail has seen significant competition from e-commerce and headwinds in the face of changing consumer preferences.

Likewise, consumer preferences in dining have also changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we are currently emerging from the pan-demic, it is unclear at this point if dining and lodging markets will change or if they will return to a pre-pandemic state.

Job base diversification is an important factor is a communities economic sustainability and resilience. Measuring job base diversification may be done through Job Base Quotients. A Job Base Quotient is a comparative analysis of the percentage of total jobs in Florissant in a particular sector to the percentage of total jobs in a reference area—in this case the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA; “St. Louis Metro”)—for the same jobs sector. For example, if the percentage of construction jobs in Florissant is the same as the percentage of construction jobs in the St. Louis Metro, then Florissant’s Job Location Quotient for construction jobs is 1.0. If Florissant’s percentage of construction jobs is two times that of the percentage of the St. Louis Metro, then Florissant’s Job Location Quotient is

2.0. If Florissant’s percentage of construction jobs

is half that of St. Louis County, then the Job Loca-tion Quotient is 0.5.

The City of Florissant is home to over 13,100 jobs, primarily in retail and dining. These jobs support Florissant’s position a sub-regional retail center, serving the day-to-day needs of St.

Louis County residents north and east of Florissant within a 7- to 10-minute drive. Moving forward, it important that Florissant both maintain and improve the quality of existing, functional retail centers while diversifying Florissant’s job base and providing unique retail experiences that celebrate Florissant’s unique history and community character.

Existing Conditions

25.8

64.7

37.8

39.6

53.2

51.2

69.1

29.2

235.9

43.5

16.6

6.0

0 50 100 150 200 250

Florissant

St. Louis Co.

St. Charles Co.

O'Fallon

St. Charles

St. Peters

Hazelwood

Ferguson

Bridgeton

Kirkwood

Spanish Lake

Old Jamestown

Jobs per 100 Residents, 2018 Source: U.S. Census LEHD On the Map

3,529

1,413 2,745

2,580

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000

Utilities Construction

Manufacturing Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade Transp & Warehsg

Information Finance and Insurance

Real Estate Prof, Scientific, & Tech

Mgt of Enterprises Admin Support & Waste Mgt

Educational Services Health Care & Social Asst

Arts, Ent, Recreation Lodging & Dining

Other Services Public Administration

Jobs in Florissant by Sector, 2018 Source: U.S. Census LEHD On the Map

0.3 0.6

0.1 0.4

1.8 0.3

0.4 0.5

0.9 0.6

0.3 0.8

1.5 1.5

1.0 1.7

1.4 1.1

- 1.0 2.0 3.0

Utilities Construction

Manufacturing Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade Transp & Warehsg

Information Finance and Insurance

Real Estate Prof, Scientific, & Tech

Mgt of Enterprises Admin Support & Waste…

Educational Services Health Care & Social Asst

Arts, Ent, Recreation Lodging & Dining

Other Services Public Administration

Job Location Quotients 2002

vs. St. Louis Metro

0.4 0.4

0.0 0.2

2.5 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.7 0.4

0.0 0.2

1.4 1.3

1.0 2.1

1.0 0.9

- 1.0 2.0 3.0

Utilities Construction

Manufacturing Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade Transp & Warehsg

Information Finance and Insurance

Real Estate Prof, Scientific, & Tech

Mgt of Enterprises Admin Support & Waste…

Educational Services Health Care & Social Asst

Arts, Ent, Recreation Lodging & Dining

Other Services Public Administration

Job Location Quotients 2018

vs. St. Louis Metro

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Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

FIGURE 1.1.1

FIGURE 1.1.3: JOB LOCATION QUOTIENTS, 2002 VS. 2018

FIGURE 1.1.2

39.2%

27.6%

20.6%

0% 5%

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Out Commuters In Commuters Stay Commuters

Florissant Commuters Earning More than $40,000 per Year, 2018

Source: U.S. Census "On the Map"

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In 2018, the Job Location Quotients for Floris-sant’s top four (4) employment sectors are as follows:

This shows that in the two more volatile sectors— retail and lodging and dining—Florissant has respectively 2.5 and 2.1 times the percentage of total jobs as the St. Louis Metro as a whole.

More troublesome, however, is the comparison of Florissant’s Job Location Quotients from 2002 to 2018. In 2002, the Job Location Quotients for the above sectors are as follows:

Over the past 20 years, Florissant’s jobs base has both shrunken by 11.5 percent and grown less diverse. Furthermore, more stable and higher-paying jobs in health care and education have decreased more rapidly in favor of lower-paying, more volatile jobs in retail and hospitality (refer to Figure 1.1.3).

EMPLOYMENT, COMMUTING & INCOME OF

FLORISSANT RESIDENTS

The majority of Florissant’s employed population (23,746 people) travel outside of Florissant to work, and the majority of Florissant’s jobs (11,462 jobs, or 87 percent) are held by non-residents who travel into Florissant. Only 1,715 employed residents also work in Florissant (refer to Figure 1.1.4).

Out-commuters earn more than workers in Florissant, bringing good wages back to the City.

39.2 percent of out-commuters earn more than $40,000 per year, compared to 27.6 percent of in-commuters and only 20.6 percent of stay-commuters—those both living and working in Florissant (refer to Figure 1.1.5).

Median household income in Florissant ($55,000) is below that of both St. Louis County ($67,400) and St. Charles County ($85,000). Median in-come is below most peer communities, except Hazelwood ($54,600), Ferguson ($40,000), and Spanish Lake ($37,200). Likewise, per capita income ($25,600) is 39 percent lower than St.

Louis County; 35 percent lower than St. Charles County; and only exceeds the per capita income of Ferguson and Spanish Lake.

Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

FIGURE 1.1.4: INFLOW/OUTFLOW OF WORKERS FIGURE 1.1.5

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$607.9

$1,197.4

Annual Retail Demand vs. Supply (excluding Restaurants) Millions of Dollars Source: Esri

Buying Power/Demand Business Sales/Supply

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$64.5

$114.1

Annual Eating & Drinking Demand vs. Supply (excluding Retail) Millions of Dollars Source: Esri

Buying Power/Demand Business Sales/Supply

$0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500

1.8

1.3 1.2

4.5

4.4

1.2 1.4

1.5 20.8

1.8

Retail/Dining Sectors Over-Represented in Florissant Millions of Dollars Source: Esri

Buying Power/Demand Business Sales/Supply

Multiple of Florissant Resident Buying Power

$0

$10

$20

$30

Electronics & Applicances

Clothing & Accessories

Office Supplies

47%

69%

69%

Retail/Dining Sectors Under-Represented in Florissant Millions of Dollars Source: Esri

Buying Power/Demand Business Sales/Supply

Scale of Sales Compared to Local Purchasing Power

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RETAIL SALES

From a retail and dining standpoint, Florissant currently functions as sub-regional center. While there is not a single, accepted definition of this status, for the purpose of this plan, a sub-regional center provides day-to-day retail, service, and dining amenities to multiple adjacent communities within a 12- to 15-minute drive. Comparable sub-regional retail centers include South Lindbergh, Arnold, Fenton, Crestwood, Shrewsbury, and Maplewood. Sub-regional centers typically lack specialty retailers that are found in regional retail centers. These specialty retailers are destina-tions for shoppers throughout the region, who will travel 30 minutes or more. In comparison to sub-regional centers, regional centers are primarily Chesterfield Valley, Brentwood/Richmond Heights, and—to a lesser degree—Plaza Frontenac.

Florissant is a significant net retail center. Floris-sant’s internal retail buying power (excluding dining and drinking)—the combined annual buy-ing power of all, but only, Florissant residents—is nearly $608 million. However, total annual retail sales are nearly $1.2 billion dollars—nearly double the internal buying power. Hazelwood, Ferguson, and Bridgeton also do significantly more retail sales than internal buying power, but only St. Peters exceeds the sheer volume of the Florissant’s retail sales (refer to Figure 1.1.6).

Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

FIGURE 1.1.8

FIGURE 1.1.7

FIGURE 1.1.6

FIGURE 1.1.9

1,019,200 1,177,300

1,211,700

10,000

210,000

410,000

610,000

810,000

1,010,000

1,210,000

1,410,000

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028

St. Louis Regional Employment Projections, 2018-2028 Source: Missouri Economic Research & Information Center

St. Louis Region for Projections St. Louis City St. Louis County St. Charles County Franklin County Jefferson County

2018-2028 Growth Rates St. Louis Region 2.9% Missouri 4.5% United States 5.2% Kansas City Region 4.8%

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Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

The story for dining and drinking is similar. Floris-sant has nearly $65 million in internal dining and drinking buying power, but does more than $114 million dining and drinking sales. Bridgeton, St.

Charles, and St. Peters also have significantly more dining and drinking sales than internal buying power, but only St. Charles and St. Peters exceed the volume of Florissant’s dining and drinking sales (refer to Figure 1.1.7)

Most retail sectors are currently over-represented in Florissant compared to resident buying power, namely florists (20.8 times), grocery stores (4.5 times), health and personal care (4.4 times), auto dealers (1.8 times), and restaurants/drinking establishments (1.8 times) (refer to Figure 1.1.8).

This characteristic goes hand-in-hand with Floris-sant’s high annual sales compared to internal buying power. It is not a cause for concern, so long as exterior markets stay loyal.

There are only three sectors not over-repre-sented; electronics and appliances (0.47 times), clothing and accessories (0.69 times), and office supplies (0.69 times) (refer to Figure 1.1.9).

These sectors, however, have tended to me more affected by both shifts to e-commerce as well as consolidation in regional retail centers.

FUTURE TRENDS

Today, Florissant can be considered a solidly working-class community. The City is regionally well-positioned to provide access to the St. Louis region’s job concentrations along the I-270 and I-70 corridors. However, Florissant’s depressed median household income—in conjunction with negative regional and national perceptions of North St. Louis County—can negatively effect the City’s ability to attract higher-quality retailers and economic investments.

This situation is further challenged by past job trends in both Florissant and the St. Louis Region as a whole. From 2002 to 2018, regional employ-ment (defined as St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County, and Jeffer-son County, Missouri) grew a total of 9.3 percent (0.58 percent per year). However, regional em-ployment from 2018 to 2028 is projected to grow only 2.9 percent (0.29 percent per year) (refer to Figure 1.1.10).

FIGURE 1.1.10

12,070

13,140

14,850

13,140 13,520

10,000

11,000

12,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

2002 2018 2028

Florissant Employment Projections, 2018-2028 Source: Missouri Economic Research & Information Center and St. Louis University

2002-2018 Trend No Change Regional Growth Rate (2.9%)

-10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Personal Care & Service Healthcare Support

Healthcare & Tech Support Computer & Mathematical

Community & Social Service Transp & Material Moving

Education, Training, & Library Management

Construction & Extraction Food Prep & Serving

Life, Physical, & Social Science Building & Grounds Maintenance

Business & Financial Operations Legal

Architecture & Engineering Installation & Repair

Protective Service Arts, Ent, Sports, & Media

Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Sales & Related

Office & Admin Support Production

St. Louis Regional Jobs Projections by Major Occupations, 2018 to 2028

Source: Missouri Economic Research & Information Center

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Over the same time period—2002 to 2018, Flo-rissant’s job base shrank by 11.5 percent (0.71 percent per year). If this trend continues from 2018 to 2028, Florissant will have lost another 1,071 jobs by 2028. If Florissant is able to capture its per capita share of regional job growth over this period, Florissant could regain 380 jobs by 2028 (refer to Figure 1.11).

One key to capturing a share of this job growth is to focus economic development activities on those sectors favored in regional job growth projections. This includes—most strongly—health care services, technical skills (including labora-tory sciences and advanced manufacturing, and high-level business management and support (including financial, legal, and other “back-office” sectors). Food prep and serving is also projected to have fairly strong growth. Sales-related oc-cupations, including retail sales, are projected to significantly decrease (~3.5 percent) (refer to Figure 1.12).

Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

FIGURE 1.1.12

FIGURE 1.1.11

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Fortunately, Florissant is well-positioned to capitalize on these markets, if the City can pro-vide a regulatory and development environment that incentivizes appropriate development types and land uses. Commercial rents are low right now, and Florissant is geographically well-located.

Furthermore, Florissant must incrementally redevelop failing or outmoded commercial devel-opments in favor of mixed-use destinations that provide a variety of visitor experiences beyond simply visiting a store to shop. Tying these “ex-perience destinations” to Florissant’s history and community character—including Old Town—will help Florissant to remain competitive in the regional retail and dining environment.

Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

Consensus Issues:

» Lack of land for new business development.

» Existing shopping centers and store fronts are aging; many do not look good.

» Requirements like the ‘brick ordinance’ are inhibiting to developers.

» Difficult to attract well-known, national, and high-quality retailers.

» Little job base diversity and need for higher paying jobs.

» Businesses in Florissant lack variety.

» Lack of support from the city for new and unique businesses.

» Support for small and minority-owned businesses needs improvement.

» A low tax base contributes to weak budgets.

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Objective 1.1:

Florissant should actively work to retain existing businesses, develop new business sectors, and attract new businesses to the City.

Strategy 1.1.1: Provide incentives, including tax incentives, regulatory entitlement incentives, and others to encourage development of local businesses as well as regional and national businesses to locate in Florissant.

Strategy 1.1.2: Establish business incubators in new growth sectors—including high-tech and healthcare services—to support emerging businesses, small businesses, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Strategy 1.1.3: Create a minority/small business expo including lessons on finance, public relations, credit building, and marketing to attract regional businesses and entrepreneurs and establish Florissant as a ‘startup’ city.

Objective 1.2:

Florissant will promote employment base diversification and facilitate improved accessibility to existing regional job centers along I-270, I-170, and I-70.

Strategy 1.2.1: Pursue the redevelopment of the Dunn Road and Pershall Road corridors with new healthcare, high-tech, back-office developments, and hospitality uses to capture regional growth sectors in Florissant.

Strategy 1.2.2: Work with the adjacent cities of Hazelwood and Berkeley to improve I-170 access, visual quality, and wayfinding into Florissant.

Strategy 1.2.3: Actively market Florissant to the workforces of St. Louis Lambert International Airport and associated employers (such as Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and Hazelwood Logistics Center).

Strategy 1.2.4: Update Florissant’s commercial zoning regulations to facilitate development of new, non-retail commercial development.

Strategy 1.2.5: Establish quarterly meetings with local schools and business owners to promote mentorship programs, business courses, and employment opportunities for youth in the area.

Goal 1:

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Goal 1:

Economic Development, Business & Job Growth

Objective 1.3:

Florissant will strengthen its relevance as a sub-regional retail center by reimagining its significant existing shopping centers as experience retail destinations to serve Florissant residents and surrounding communities.

Strategy 1.3.1: Facilitate the targeted redevelopment of outdated and underutilized shopping centers in nodes along Lindbergh Boulevard as mixed-use, experience retail developments incorporating shopping, dining, entertainment, recreational, and living opportunities.

Strategy 1.3.2: Expand the capacity of Florissant’s Economic Development Department and continue the City’s outreach program to attract new businesses to Florissant.

Strategy 1.3.3: Prepare a potential site inventory of new and reinvestment sites to market to prospects.

Strategy 1.3.4: Pursue the development of a high-quality hotel and convention center along I-270 corridor.

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Objective 1.4:

The City of Florissant will facilitate large-scale redevelopment opportunities through land assembly, regulatory incentives, and financial incentives.

Strategy 1.4.1: Conduct a detailed assessment of Florissant’s local ordinances;

revise or eliminate ordinances that unduly increase the cost or difficulty of establishing a business in Florissant.

Strategy 1.4.2: Maintain high standards of design and construction through the establishment and administration of City-wide architectural design guidelines.

Strategy 1.4.3: Establish a Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) to facilitate the public holding and assembly of land for large-scale redevelopment.

Strategy 1.4.4: Utilize available redevelopment mechanisms enabled by the State of Missouri, including tax increment financing, the Industrial Development Authority, special taxing district, and other tools to facilitate large-scale redevelopment projects of underutilized land or properties in need of reinvestment.

Strategy 1.4.5: Promote inviting, walkable, and people-oriented business frontages to encourage foot traffic along business corridors.

Strategy 1.4.6: Extend incentives for all kinds of businesses in Florissant and use tax incentives selectively to achieve a desired business mix.

Goal 1:

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Goal 2:

Old Town History, Arts & Culture Grow Old Town as the heart of Florissant and a regional destination, celebrating Florissant’s unique history and leveraging arts, culture, and placemaking for authentic, local economic development.

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THE BEGINNING OF FLORISSANT

The exact date of Florissant’s settlement is un-known but it occurred prior to the French defeat in 1762 by the British and Spanish in French and In-dian War.