Tagged: biotechnology

The life sciences district known as Cortex has gotten initial approval for the first phase of its $2.1 billion expansion plan.

The city's Tax Increment Financing commission voted today to authorize about $35 million in incentives for the first phase, which totals about $160 million.

The phase includes new office and laboratory space, a new Shriners' Hospital, and a streetscape known as Cortex Commons. Here's how it breaks down:

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street and local activist groups plan to mark the occasion by protesting biotechnology giant Monsanto.

Barbara Chicherio is with the Gateway Green Alliance, which opposes genetically modified organisms developed by St. Louis based Monsanto and other biotech companies.

She said tomorrow's protests will represent a shift within the Occupy movement to focus on specific issues.