Port Authority Gives More Than $758,000 to Local Organizations

The St. Louis County Port Authority has given $758,936 to local organizations with the hopes of improving the Jefferson Barracks and Lemay communities.

The grants are the second round administered by the Port Authority, an affiliate of the St. Louis County Economic Council. The funds stem from the Port Authority Community Reinvestment Fund, created by revenue from the land lease of Pinnacle Entertainment’s River City Casino. 

For the first five years of its lease, the Port Authority pledges to reinvest 75 percent of River City's monthly $333,333 lease payments to the Lemay community. Twice a year, the Port Authority gives out the grants to organizations in need of funds for specific projects. 

“About $20 million will be generated over the next five years’ lease payments,” said Tim Tucker, the vice president of real estate and community development for the Economic Council.

“In this round’s case, many of these organizations just needed that last bit of money to get them across the finish line,” Tucker said. “We felt it was important to support their years of effort and bring these projects through to fruition.”

One such organization was the AT&T Telephone Pioneers. The group, made of retired AT&T employees, received $150,000 to finish restoring the AT&T Pioneer Telephone Museum in Jefferson Barracks.

“Volunteers have been working to restore the building for years,” said Harold Delaney, a leader on the project. “We just about ran out of financial resources, and at the same time, the grants became available.”

Delaney said the money will go toward restoring the plaster walls, dilapidated bathrooms and installing fire and burglar alarms.

Scheduled to open in June, the museum will display old telephones and telephone equipment.

“We have more than 200 items,” Delaney said.

The committee looks for projects that support redevelopment activities that have already-approved plans. Organizations that would advance the community by encouraging building or creating jobs are ideal, Tucker said.

“There’s never been a stream of casino revenue that’s had such an organized, specific plan for its use,” Tucker said. “It was a very strategic process."

Previous recipients of the grant include the and the Jefferson Barracks Heritage Foundation.

The deadline for the next round of grants is June 1. For more information on how to apply, contact the St. Louis County Port Authority Community Reinvestment Fund.

VFW Post 4223

$152,050

Capital improvements to existing facilities

AT&T Telephone Pioneers

$150,000

Restoration funds for the museum

$138,000

Fund Development Director position 

Jefferson Barracks Heritage Foundation

$100,000

Provide staff and operations assistance

Hancock Place School District/Lemay Child and Family Center

$90,000

Seed money to establish a Lemay Community Education Program, providing night classes for adults. 

Lemay Development Corporation

$87,918

Support costs for a new staff position

U.S. 2nd Rangers Battalion

$25,690

Complete restoration of Jefferson Barracks Power House

Lemay Memorial American Legion Post 162

$12,278

Capital improvements to existing facilities

Freedom’s Gateway

$3,000

Matching funds to support at Jefferson Barracks, April 29—May 1.