What a busy year we’ve had!
Our shared kitchen is bustling with new food start-ups, businesses along the street are going strong, and combined they’ve generated more than $1.3 million in sales tax revenue for the City of Columbia. The Business Loop is a valuable commercial corridor for the city and we’re getting some well-earned attention as a result.
This year we partnered with the City and MoDOT on several important infrastructure projects designed to make the corridor safer and more attractive. Findings from a Road Safety Audit will be released soon but MoDOT is already planning improvements to the intersection of Business Loop and Paris as a result. The Reconnecting Communities Planning Grant is underway, with a second round of public input planned for this fall. The ultimate goal is final engineering documents to get us prepped and ready to apply for capital improvement funding. And finally, we’ve donated funds for the Providence Bridge Beautification Project designed to elevate and beautify a primary gateway onto The Loop.
This recent movement to improve our road harkens back to 100 years ago when city leaders fought to have the newly created Highway 40—the predecessor to the Business Loop—run through Columbia. It wasn’t an easy process. They had to convince federal representatives, reroute local roads, and overcome some engineering obstacles but once they did, Columbia could boast of a cross-county highway and the economic boom that came with it. This is our hope for an improved Business Loop as well. We will still need to secure funding and make some tough decisions about how to best use the space along the corridor but once we do, we’ll have a entrance into Columbia we can all be proud of.
For a full list of Loop CID projects, visit TheLoopCoMo.com, scroll to the bottom and click “Initiatives.” And for a list of all our food start-ups, visit CoMoCooks.com and click on “Food Vendors.”
As always, we could not have accomplished these projects without help from business owners, property owners, residents, and fans who like what we’re doing here on the Business Loop. On behalf of the entire board I want to thank everyone for their support, their input, and their commitment to making The Loop a vibrant, authentic, and welcoming corridor.
The Loop is a remarkable collection of people who learn, fix, and build. Things are made here.
Now the Business Loop Community Improvement District is taking that same DIY approach to improving the street. Although we’re proud of our Highway 40 roots, we’re no longer satisfied being a quick route through town so we’re building on our strengths and creating a corridor of creative industries, economic engines, and hands-on learning—all with the same get-it-done attitude we’re known for.
We advocate for infrastructure improvements, encourage economic activity, support businesses and local makers, host events, and beautify the street with pop-up spaces and gardens full of flowers and vegetables.
Started the public planning process for the Reconnecting Communities Grant, in partnership with the City of Columbia and MoDOT. Key elements include better sidewalks, stormwater management, utility line undergrounding, beautification, and design improvements to intersections, bike lanes, and crosswalks. But the goal isn’t just a new vision for the Business Loop—it’s detailed engineering documents that will put us in the front of the line when applying for capital improvement funding.
Donated to the Providence Bridge Beautification Project, spearheaded by the City of Columbia. As MoDOT replaces bridges as part of the I70 expansion, the city is taking the opportunity to add decorative lighting, enhanced railings and fencing, stone-pattern retaining walls, and bridge facade elements. Providence is the gateway onto the Business Loop and we’re excited elevate this space to reflect the pride and energy of our community.
Installed new street banners celebrating 100 years of Highway 40. Vintage photos feature a Hickman High basketball game, students from the 1950s hanging out in cars, the new Business Loop right after I70 was built, and the Boone County Fair back when it was held right here on Hwy 40.
Planted seasonal gardens at our pop-up spaces and an herb and vegetable garden behind our CoMo Cooks Shared Kitchen. All our cooks are welcome to harvest our produce for their own use and our kitchen manager dehydrates crops of thyme, oregano, and basil for them as well.
With the most affordable rents in Columbia, our vacancy rate is below 1% with a very low turnover. Three shared spaces on the street—Vidwest Studios, MACCLab Makerspace, and CoMo Cooks Shared Kitchen—make running a business on The Loop even more affordable and accessible.
We have several strong business clusters focusing on home and auto and this allows us to focus on our strengths, work in tandem, direct our marketing efforts, and distinguish ourselves from other commercial areas.
The Loop is home to the most diverse collection of businesses in town including African, Latina, Middle Eastern and more—with 24% of our small businesses minority-owned and 28% women-owned.
We hosted 54 food-based businesses over FY 2026 in our CoMo Cooks Shared Kitchen with 42 members currently. Of these, 20 are food trucks. Additionally:
Partnered with the City of Columbia on a Road Safety Audit of the Business Loop, with public input and teams of volunteers driving, walking, biking, and rolling down the street identifying areas where safety could be enhanced. MoDOT’s planned improvements to the intersection of Business Loop and Paris Road is the first project to come from this study.
Hosted free, family-friendly events at the Community Pop-Up Park. Kids spend the morning planting flowers, making art, and crafting handmade Mother’s Day gifts while parents have a few hours to relax in a lawn chair.
Turned over our front office to pop-ups and classes, increasing activity on the street by encouraging food pop-ups and hands-on crafting classes after hours. CoMo Cooks clients offer to-go dinners, sell chocolates and baked goods on holidays, and CoMo Craftcycle holds sewing and crafting classes on Saturdays. And CoMo Cooks client Back 2 Basics teaches cooking classes for adults and kids year-round in our kitchen.
Celebrated the 100 Year Anniversary of Highway 40 with stories about the people and places that made Hwy. 40 and The Loop an integral part of Columbia. Stories and photos shared on our website, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit inspired long-time residents to share their memories as well. One post about Zipps Drive Thru—a common stop when cruising The Loop—garnered 595 likes, 145 comments, and 107 shares.
Historic Highway 40 was named one of Columbia’s Most Notable Properties and we celebrated by recognizing a range of historic buildings and long-standing businesses on The Loop.
Ran a digital marketing campaign focused on our key business clusters—home, auto, and food—for local Reddit, Pinterest, and Next Door users, as well as digital ads directed to people interested in home improvement, car repair, and party planning.
Partnered with MoDOT to highlight I70 expansion projects, inform businesses, and help direct customer travel during a years-long construction effort.
Continued to share our regular email newsletter with more than 1270 community members with an average open rate of 42%, up from 35%. Issues focused on corridor planning, Loop events, Highway 40 stories, and MoDOT construction updates.
Within The Loop CID, sales revenue ranged between $4.2M and $6.6M on a monthly basis, with peak revenue in March and again in September. (All numbers shown are a cumulation of reported activity excluding automotive sales.)
While commercial valuations rose by 1%, utility valuations dropped to 22% of the previous year due to changes in utility assessments implemented by the State Tax Commission.
In FY2027 we'll be focusing on increasing marketing for existing Loop businesses, promoting the three shared spaces on The Loop, hosting events at our Pop-Up Park, continuing to support small food businesses at CoMo Cooks, and importantly, continuing to work with the City of Columbia and MODOT on Business Loop corridor planning and I70 Bridge enhancements. We'll also be adding to our fund balance so we're ready to go for our next big project.
Michele Batye | Dave Griggs' Flooring America
Daryle Bascom | The Food Bank Market
James Bayless | Fresh Start Sober Living
Ryan Euliss | Boone Electric Cooperative
Karen Geotz | Dive Bar
Mary Grupe | Hickman High School
Renee Hall | MACCLab Makerspace/MACC
Jay Rader | Bus Loop 70 Properties
Carrie Gartner | Executive Director
Rae Adams | Event Coordinator
Trish Robertson | Kitchen Manager
Our FY2027 Budget and our 2026 Annual Report are both available to download. Please note, by clicking this link you will be leaving the Loop CID website and be directed to Google Drive. We also have hard copies available so if you'd like some for your business or organization, or if you need additional assistance accessing these documents, please contact us at [email protected].
