A consulting firm created in response to the May 16 EF3 tornado that ripped through the city won a $1 million contract Wednesday aimed at aiding tornado recovery in north St. Louis.
The St. Louis Development Corporation's board of directors approved the contract with Kea Point Solutions, a firm that on its website says it was established “to help the city recover quickly, effectively, and transparently.”
Founder Russell Halliday is well known to the St. Louis Development Corporation and St. Louis officials. He previously worked as a program manager for Stantec, a firm that managed the redevelopment of the NorthSide regeneration area of St. Louis.
Halliday, who lives in New Zealand, called the tornado an opportunity for the north side.
“The interesting thing with recovery work for a city or a town is the opportunity portion of the recovery,” Halliday said. “Earthquakes, tornadoes and other disasters create a net benefit post recovery — that’s one of the keys I’d like to focus on.”
The base contract, which sees Halliday’s firm helping SLDC with short, medium and long-term recovery, totals $936,000 with an additional $134,000 in ancillary fees. The contract cannot exceed $1.1 million.
Specifically, the contract calls for Kea Point Solutions to aid SLDC in duties relating to business and economic recovery and other recovery efforts, including housing and infrastructure initiatives.
SLDC Deputy Executive Director Rob Orr said 12 firms submitted proposals for the contract. Out of the four interviewed, Orr said, Halliday’s firm had the most experience with recovering from disasters.
Halliday worked as a senior project manager with MWH Global, helping facilitate reconstruction after the Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake that killed 185 people and caused widespread structural damage.
Halliday said he hopes his previous work with the City of St. Louis will prove useful as SLDC works to redevelop the area.
“This is an opportunity to get everyone engaged in the process and lifting everyone up in the community,” Halliday said. “This is a broader improvement to Northside, which we initiated with the NGA project.”
Interim SLDC President and CEO Otis Williams said the consulting contract aims to help SLDC work in a “coordinated fashion” that sees the corporation working with city offices, neighborhoods and community groups.
“The goal for us is to provide the tools that are needed to redevelop and that includes leveraging dollars that are available or finding dollars,” William said.
Halliday said his firm plans to develop a 100-day plan. Orr said Halliday will live in St. Louis and be housed in the SLDC offices for the duration of the contract.
