USDA Visit

In May 2026, Prosperité Sainte Genevieve welcomed consultants from USDA along with Ben White, Program Specialist with Missouri Mainstreet Connections. This trip was the first of many in a long-term effort to build on the foundation of historic Sainte Genevieve and support continued growth.

USDA consultants, Ben Muldrow and Randy Wilson, provided branding, design, and economic vitality services during their time in town. They met with members of Prosperité Sainte Genevieve, spoke with local business owners, and toured the city. Their goal was to better understand the needs of the community and identify opportunities to strengthen the community identity and economic future. Following their visit, their findings were presented at City Hall, where they provided renderings of buildings to promote vacant properties and highlight potential uses. These potential uses were shaped by feedback from community members in a survey sent out prior to the visit. Some of the requested additions on the community’s wishlist included clothing, grocery, gift, crafts, entertainment, and new restaurants. Randy and Ben recommended building the goals Sainte Genevieve has already established. While data shows that tourism is rising, the consultants encourage finding out how to keep them wanting to come back and targeting the times during the day where the town grows in numbers. Some recommendations were to focus on public art, wayfinding, and inter-business engagement to create a cohesive downtown while still highlighting the parts of our district that make it special.

A full breakdown of the data and recommendations was provided in a breakfast hosted by ProSG at the Audubon Library in June of 2026 and is available upon request. If you’re interested in getting involved, visit the contact page on our website to sign up as a volunteer. Your participation helps shape the future of our historic community.