While the intermittent storms that remain in the forecast are helping to keep temperatures out of the sizzling range, things are heating up in various sectors all across the Metro East that we’re pleased to share with you in this lengthy edition of Good NewsLink.

On the development front, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis recently began construction on an estimated $10 million, 30,000 square-foot expansion project to introduce a state-of-the-art sportsbook and dining promenade with a three-outlet food court and a full-service restaurant. Progress continues to be made on the new R.P. Lumber Recreational Complex in Edwardsville, which will offer one of the only 175-meter special surface tracks in the area, along with a state-of-the-art ice rink, teen center and meeting center for residents and surrounding communities to enjoy year-round. Also in Edwardsville, a joint venture led by developer TriStar Properties has sold the 176-acre, 2-million-square-foot World Wide Technology campus at Gateway Commerce Center that was completed in 2019.

As part of virtual FreightWeekSTL hosted back in May, the St. Louis Regional Freightway released its 2022 Priority Projects List featuring 21 projects, which represents a total investment of $2.75 billion to address key infrastructure needs of the manufacturing and logistics industries in the Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois area. Among the list of priority projects is the $42 million Interstate 255/Davis Street Ferry Road Interchange in St. Clair County that is scheduled for construction in 2022. Also ranking on the list is $36 million in improvements to I-64 from Green Mount Road to Illinois Route 158 (Air Mobility Drive) and the $20 million relocation of Illinois Route 158 (Air Mobility Drive) from Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 177 – both of which support the growth corridor near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

MidAmerica Airport was in the news itself as the departure point for the historic flight of a prototype Boeing MQ-25 Stingray, which linked up with a U.S. Navy Super Hornet and became the first craft with no crew to refuel a manned plane in the air.

With the state fully reopening earlier this month having moved to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, this is a promising sign for the region as we’re one step closer to putting the pandemic behind us. As a result, the Leadership Council is excited to officially return to in-person board meetings and we look forward to seeing the members that can join us face-to-face on July 9th at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville.

In the meantime, continue reading for more on these exciting stories and all the other good news occurring in the region and have a great rest of the week!

Cyberspace Capabilities Center - Scott AFB

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers worked into the early hours of Tuesday morning to pass a $42.3 billion state budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year that Democrats say would fully fund K-12 education and the state’s pension obligations while also paying down a sizeable portion of the state’s debt. (Read More)

ST. LOUIS — Many of the projects on the St. Louis Regional Freightway’s 2022 Priority Projects List are the same as last year’s, with substantial improvement made on some of them. (Read More)

EDWARDSVILLLE – A joint venture led by developer TriStar Properties has sold a 176-acre, 2-million-square-foot, build-to-suit campus it completed in 2019 for tenant World Wide Technology. (Read More)

DraftKings at Casino Queen, located at 200 S. Front St. in East St. Louis, has begun construction on an estimated $10 million expansion project to introduce a state-of-the-art sportsbook and dining promenade with a three-outlet food court and a full-service restaurant. (Read More)

EDWARDSVILLE - Walls are now visible for the new R.P. Lumber Recreational Complex located at the back of Edwardsville High School off Governor’s Parkway. (Read More)

ST. LOUIS - As global and domestic markets recalibrate in the pandemic recovery environment, it has never been clearer just how important freight logistics and a healthy supply chain are to keep the economy moving. (Read More)

NanoAvionics plans to hire around 100 people by the end of 2022, about half of those for its satellite manufacturing facility in Columbia, which will be transformed into a hub for an ambitious growth and business development plan for the United States. (Read More)

MASCOUTAH — A St. Louis-made tanker drone just made history. After taking off from MidAmerica Airport here Friday, a prototype Boeing MQ-25 Stingray linked up with a U.S. Navy Super Hornet and became the first craft with no crew to refuel a manned plane in the air. (Read More)

ST. LOUIS - A 60-mile section of Route 3 that runs parallel to the Mississippi River in Illinois on the eastern side of the bi-state St. Louis region anchors an industrial corridor that is one of the premier manufacturing logistics hubs in the Midwest. (Read More)

Three new banks representing one of the largest financial industry expansions in many years in Southwestern Illinois are in various stages of making their debuts. (Read More)

The Illinois Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced nearly $106 million has been awarded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program to expand travel options and enhance quality of life in communities throughout the state. (Read More)

United States Steel Corporation donated $15,000 to the Granite City School District for a mobile tech classroom to help promote STEM, robotics, droning and the trades. (Read More)

Leaders from economic development, real estate, logistics and other sectors learned about the St. Louis region’s powerful role as a global freight and logistics hub during an hour-long riverboat tour May 26 as part of FreightWeek STL. (Read More)

A mobile food service based in Cahokia Heights was the winner of a new food industry business plan competition presented by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. (Read More)

Ten doctors from Urology of St. Louis were recently recognized on a list of the Best Doctors in St. Louis, including the Metro East. (Read More)

With people ready to travel and summer vacations starting, Illinois agritourism is prime for the newest tourism trends – outdoors, family oriented, road-trip accessible and food, especially local food. (Read More)

When SJ Morrison maps out the future of transit service in Madison County, he sees “multiple routes” – new transfer stations, better service to centers of employment, and improved efficiencies. (Read More)

Jobs have been topic du jour in recent months, mostly as it pertains to filling the ranks depleted by COVID-19, but much of the region’s attention is also on the jobs of tomorrow. (Read More)

Site selectors, commercial real estate brokers and economic development professionals agree that successful development occurs when municipalities are willing to work at the speed of business. (Read More)

Tourism and economic development in Southwest Illinois was front and center Thursday. (Read More)

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and Lindenwood University marked a new agreement that will streamline the transfer process and make more scholarship money available to Lindenwood-bound Trailblazers, Monday, June 7. (Read More)

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday released guidelines for Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan — the full reopening of all businesses and activities — which will go into effect June 11. (Read More)

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to excel in the digital humanities, gaining national funding for its innovative, collaborative programming. The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced $24 million in grants for 225 humanities projects nationwide. (Read More)