BJC Commons*
St. Louis, MO
CORTEX is a several hundred-acre bioscience and technology research hub in midtown St. Louis. Founded in 2002 with a $29 million investment from founding partners Washington University in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Saint Louis University and the Missouri Botanical Garden, CORTEX has the goal of bringing well-paying, sustainable technology, bioscience and healthcare jobs, back to the core of the City.
In 2012, two of CORTEX’s founding partners, Washington University in St. Louis and BJC Healthcare, recognized a need to consolidate existing administrative offices that were currently spread across their medical center campus.
The $45.6 million, 200,000 square foot BJC HealthCare Administrative Office Building, called “BJC Commons” is in an underdeveloped, blighted section of CORTEX, where it has the most impact on the surrounding area. With rigorous sustainability standards, the facility’s architecture complements the existing buildings in CORTEX and extends the impact of the hub further into the disinvested community.
MBS Urban Initiatives CDE funded a $9,800,000 qualified low-income community investment (QLICI) in the BJC Administrative Office Building. These proceeds were combined with a $4.8 million QLICI from St. Louis Development Corporation and leveraged $31 million in equity from BJC Healthcare.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Quick Facts
Project Goal: Support the construction of a healthcare office building in a severely distressed neighborhood in St. Louis that will bring jobs to the disinvested community, serve as a bridge to connect low-income residents to healthcare opportunities, and bring higher-income employees and students and their dollars to support local businesses.
Total Development Costs: $45,643,522
Square Footage: 200,000
Developer: BJC Healthcare
Tax Credit Investor: U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation
NMTC Qualified Low Income Community Investment: $9,800,000
Other Key Project Financing: CH Allied Services, Inc., St. Louis Development Corporation, BJC HealthSystem
Construction Jobs: 250
(20% are low-income persons or residents of low-income communities)
Permanent Jobs: 800
Investment Date: October 2012
Opening Date: October 2013