Bi-State Development’s Nations honored with regional unity award

ST. LOUIS — Bi-State Development President and CEO John Nations has been recognized by Construction Forum STL with a 2016 Building Tomorrow award.

Presented by Construction Forum STL’s President Joe Blanner at the organization’s second annual awards luncheon in St. Louis Oct. 21, Nations (left) received the award for Regional Unity. The award specifically honors Nations for his role as a longtime champion of regionalism, job growth and economic development.

Among Nation’s accomplishments highlighted was his role in leading the effort that resulted in the rebirth of the Chesterfield Valley after the flood of 1993, considered to be a model of TIF development. While in his third term as mayor of Chesterfield, he was enlisted by BSD to lead the 2010 St. Louis County campaign to fund public transportation, and delivered a landslide victory with more than 63 percent of the vote. The campaign has been described as one of the best civic collaborations in 50 years. He was then recruited to head BSD, which has thrived under his leadership.

Nations is the top official at Bi-State Development which operates the Metro public transit system; St. Louis Downtown Airport, the the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams; the St. Louis Regional Freightway; and the Bi-State Development Research Institute.

We welcome news of economic development in and around Southwestern Illinois. Send it to Editor Dennis Grubaugh, dgrubaugh@ibjonline.com