A sharp divide over how St. Louis should spend $230 million in Rams settlement money was on display Tuesday as aldermen advanced a spending plan that boosts funding for tornado recovery, water infrastructure and vacant-property enforcement while preserving a controversial $55 million allocation for downtown redevelopment.
The committee vote is not the final decision. Board Bill 22 now returns to the full Board of Aldermen, which must approve the plan before any of the money can be spent.
What unfolded during a nearly six-hour committee hearing was less a debate over accounting than a clash of priorities. Residents, business leaders, activists and elected officials offered competing visions for how the city should use one of the largest financial windfalls in its history.
After hours of public testimony, aldermen voted to redistribute $25 million previously proposed for reserves. The revised plan would allocate $120 million for tornado recovery and North St. Louis redevelopment, $40 million for water infrastructure, $10 million for vacancy reduction, $55 million for downtown redevelopment and $30 million for infrastructure improvements outside downtown.
The committee approved nine amendments, including one that added $10 million for tornado-related home repairs and rental assistance.
Audrey Kidwell, the first speaker at the hearing, urged aldermen to increase funding for tornado recovery.
“I’m really hoping to see an amendment that would increase funding for North city, specifically home repair and tornado recovery,” Kidwell said. “The last time we met … folks mentioned things like home repair and triage being at the top of the list of needs. I just want to urge the committee to keep those points in mind.”
Others argued that downtown investment is also critical to the city’s future.
Mike Cozen, owner of a downtown design firm, said he supports the bill’s downtown funding because the area remains one of the city’s most important economic engines.
Cozen said downtown attractions draw visitors who “fill our hotels, dine at our restaurants, explore our neighborhoods and visit other attractions and then they go home saying good things about us.”
Andrew Davidson, managing partner of KPMG’s downtown office, echoed that argument.
“From where I sit, this is not just about events; it’s about competitiveness … perception matters, vibrancy matters,” Davidson said. “When people choose where to live, where to build careers and where to invest, they look for cities that are active, visible and on the rise.”
Supporters of downtown funding note that city officials have cited an estimated $35 million economic impact from recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships and NCAA March Madness events. City plans call for downtown investments in infrastructure, riverfront improvements, retail activation and redevelopment projects, including the long-vacant Railway Exchange Building.
But many speakers argued that North St. Louis should receive a larger share of the settlement, particularly as residents continue recovering from the May 2025 tornado.
The original proposal developed by Mayor Cara Spencer and Board President Megan Green was negotiated over several months. Activists and residents had pushed for at least $150 million for North St. Louis recovery and redevelopment. Even with the committee’s changes, those demands fell short.
Members of Action St. Louis voiced some of the strongest criticism.
Kayla Reed, the organization’s executive director, warned aldermen who campaigned as progressive Democrats with Action St. Louis’ support.
“Relationships will end behind this,” Reed said. “You don’t deserve to lead this city.”
Ohun Ashe accused aldermen of placing downtown interests ahead of tornado survivors.
“What will your family members say?” Ashe asked. “That downtown interests meant more than people?”
The debate reflected broader public sentiment. A Board of Aldermen survey conducted in May found that more than half of respondents ranked tornado recovery as their top priority. Forty-four percent said more Rams settlement money should go toward tornado recovery, while 41% favored increasing funding for North St. Louis neighborhood plans.
Downtown revitalization faced the greatest pressure for cuts, with 40% of respondents saying it should receive less than the proposed $55 million allocation.
At the same time, the survey found broad support for several elements of the proposal, particularly tornado recovery and water infrastructure. Two-thirds of respondents supported the overall spending framework.
Aldermen defended the revised bill as a compromise designed to move forward while addressing multiple challenges facing the city.
The committee approved amendments sponsored by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge that added $10 million for tornado recovery, Alderman Anne Schweitzer that added $10 million for water infrastructure and Alderman Shane Cohn that doubled vacancy-reduction funding from $5 million to $10 million. Another amendment sponsored by Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier directs future interest earned on downtown funds toward North St. Louis projects.
One of the additions drew support from Peter Hoffman of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, who advocated for the increased vacancy funding.
“If we deploy it strategically, it can make a difference,” Hoffman said.
Committee Chairwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard said aldermen were working to advance legislation that could ultimately pass.
“We have to work together down here,” Hubbard said.
Green acknowledged frustration from critics but described the proposal as one step in a longer process.
“This isn’t a first step or a final step, but one of the many steps that we have to take,” Green said. “I hope that this encourages our corporate and philanthropic money to see the investment we are making in the north side and rise to the occasion.”
The bill now returns to the full Board of Aldermen for further consideration.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.