CID Priorities Survey

The Soulard Community Improvement District (CID) was established in 2019 to further elevate Soulard as a thriving community for people to live, work, and play. It’s funded by a one percent sales tax on retail in the district (see accompanying district map). The CID Board of Directors, appointed by the Mayor, is empowered to utilize those funds for a wide range of proactive short-term and long-term projects within CID boundaries. In summer 2021, the CID conducted an online survey to get community feedback for the CID Board about how funds should be prioritized and spent.

Potential survey respondents were targeted via direct mail, Facebook, Nextdoor, the SRG Blaster e-newsletter, The Soulard Renaissance newspaper and word of mouth. As a result, 565 Soulard residents, business owners, property owners and neighborhood guests participated. The majority of participants were Soulard residents (75 percent). Of those self-identified as residents, 68 percent resided within the CID boundary, 51 percent were home owners and 50 percent had lived in Soulard for four or more years. 

Additionally, 73 business owners (13 percent of all respondents) participated in the survey, including rental property owners as well as proprietors of neighborhood bars, restaurants, retail businesses and professional services.

As the core of the survey, respondents were asked to assign an “importance value” to each of ten project categories, including marketing; festivals and events; historical significance; beautification; streetscape; infrastructure; street and alley cleanup; parking solutions; traffic calming; and crime prevention.

In addition to crime prevention (which is spearheaded and funded by the Soulard Special Business District, SSBD), respondents indicated street and alley cleanup, infrastructure, streetscape and beautification as highly important - followed by historical significance, events and traffic calming.

As part of the survey, respondents were given the opportunity to provide open-ended feedback and suggestions. Below are a few direct questions / comments (and responses from the CID Board).

Question: “Why isn’t all of Soulard included in the CID?”

Answer: Including the entire neighborhood from the CID’s inception would probably have meant the CID never happening. Here’s why: The Soulard CID relies on businesses to generate income through a sales tax. For the program to be successful, it was critical to include the most number of businesses in the district with the fewest number of signatures and approvals necessary. The Soulard CID is the largest CID in St. Louis (outside of the 180-block Downtown CID). Further, the Soulard CID covers more residential properties than any other CID in the City. Adding any more territory to the CID without a significant number of businesses in the area would have required substantial time, work and finances in order to get the District approved. Simply put, the current boundaries represented the smartest, most efficient way to launch the Soulard CID. In response to a request from the Soulard Restoration Group, the Soulard CID Steering Committee agreed that the Soulard CID’s boundaries would be reviewed in the future, once revenue streams have been established. In the meantime, when one part of Soulard benefits, we all benefit. Even if you don’t live in the CID, expect your property values to rise. Expect a carry-over effect to your block or your street, in terms of quality of life. Update: the CID was expanded in 2025.

Question: “A little investment in the Market area could go a long way and be a large benefit to the entire Soulard community.”

Answer: Soulard Market is not included in the Soulard CID because it is a City-owned property, which is eligible for its own, individual CID. 

Question: “I would like to better understand the relationship of the CID, SRG, and SBA.  The goals and objectives for each organization seem fuzzy and overlapping”

Answer: CID is funded by a retail sales tax and its funds can go toward a variety of neighborhood improvement projects within District boundaries (as noted above).

SSBD is funded by property tax and its funds must be used for crime prevention and safety initiatives within District boundaries. Learn more at www.soulard-sbd.org.

SBA is the Soulard Business Association and supports local businesses. Learn more at www.historicsoulard.com.

SRG is the Soulard Restoration Group, which is Soulard’s volunteer-fueled neighborhood association. Learn more at www.soulard.org. 

Question: “I would love to hear when these meetings take place and how residents can be involved.”

Answer: Board meetings are held the first Monday of each month, 5:00pm at Molly’s In Soulard. The public is welcome to observe and provide public comment.