Thanks to $425,227 in Brownfield Redevelopment Incentives, soul-food restaurateur Robbie Montgomery, of Sweetie Pie’s fame, will clean up an abandoned building at 3643 Delmar Blvd. and open Sweetie Pie’s Upper Crust, her third establishment. The building, currently contaminated with asbestos and lead paint, will be renovated to house a restaurant, bakery, and meeting and banquet space. Gov. Jay Nixon made the announcement yesterday with Montgomery at the Sweetie Pie’s on Manchester Ave. in The Grove. The governor’s press release stated: “Economic incentives like the Brownfield program are essential to spurring growth and allowing Sweetie Pie’s and other businesses to hire hard-working Missourians. These resources will turn an abandoned building into a new restaurant for a unique St. Louis business which has developed a large, loyal and diverse customer base, while creating jobs and boosting our economy.” The release estimated the project will create 59 jobs.
– Michael Renner
This article appears in Feb 1-28, 2010.