Developer’s ambitious plan would bring marina, resort to north St. Louis riverfront

The St. Louis Port Authority on Thursday passed a resolution that could bring a major Mississippi riverfront development to north St. Louis.

The potential project could bring the city’s first marina to the riverfront. It would also add a hotel, waterpark and indoor trampoline park to a 70-acre plot of land north of Interstate 270, just within city limits.

The resolution allows the developer, Nashville-based M2 Development Partners, to pay the city to negotiate incentives that would help the company buy and develop the land. The company could seek tax abatements and other incentives and ask the city to prepare the property, St. Louis officials said.

The resolution shows both city officials and the property developers are serious about the plan, said Neal Richardson, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation.

"This is a great step because this means that a developer is putting up funds to actually start putting this project into play long-term,” he said. “Typically when a developer does this it means they’re really serious about moving it forward.”