Rams funds approved, but debate continues 

More than a year after a powerful tornado devastated North St. Louis, the city’s decision to devote $120 million in Rams settlement money to tornado recovery and neighborhood investment is drawing praise from some residents and frustration from others who say neighborhoods hit hardest by the storm were still shortchanged.

After months of public debate, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted 12-3 last week to approve a $255 million spending plan directing the city’s remaining Rams settlement proceeds to tornado recovery, neighborhood redevelopment, infrastructure improvements, downtown revitalization and efforts to reduce vacant properties.

Board of Aldermen President Megan Green and Mayor Cara Spencer backed the legislation. Aldermen Bret Narayan, Matt Devoti and Sharon Tyus voted against it.

The final package dedicates $120 million to North St. Louis recovery and neighborhood plans; $70 million to city infrastructure, including $40 million for the city’s aging water system; $55 million for downtown redevelopment; and $10 million to reduce vacant properties.

Thousands of homes were damaged by the tornado, many residents lacked insurance and rebuilding has moved more slowly than many hoped. The final plan falls about $30 million short of what many North St. Louis residents and advocates sought, though aldermen increased funding for tornado recovery and neighborhood investment after weeks of emotional public testimony.

The vote ends years of debate over how to spend the city’s share of the Rams relocation settlement. Last year’s tornado reshaped that discussion, shifting the focus from competing ideas for one of the largest financial windfalls in city history to the urgent need to rebuild devastated neighborhoods.

Public meetings exposed deep disagreements over how much of the settlement should go to North St. Louis versus downtown redevelopment.

Members of Action St. Louis voiced some of the strongest criticism, even threatening retribution against some of the more “progressive” candidates they backed in previous elections.

“Relationships will end behind this,” Executive Director Kayla Reed warned during a nearly six-hour committee hearing in early June.

Action St. Louis organizer Malanie Marie called the final allocation a “slap in the face” to North St. Louis residents.

She noted that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will receive about $220 million under the city’s recently approved $1.4 billion budget. Marie argued city leaders had the ability to increase funding for neighborhood stabilization but chose not to.

“To see that they over-funded the police by millions from the legal baseline but refused to move funds to get us to the $150 million mark — knowing what’s needed for the neighborhood stabilization programs. It was very intentional,” Marie said. “They could have done it if they wanted to.”

Business leaders and downtown advocates argued the city also needed to invest in its economic engine.

Organizations including the Gateway Arch Foundation, Greater St. Louis Inc. and the St. Louis Sports Commission urged aldermen to preserve significant funding for downtown projects, saying investments could generate substantial economic returns through tourism, major sporting events and expanded riverfront activities.

Charlie McDaniel, owner of the Black-owned spiritual wellness shop Lit Life Creations on North 18th Street, hopes the downtown investment improves public safety.

“Downtown has this negative connotation to it, so I would like to see some of that investment go towards having more officers walking down the street or riding bicycles so people can feel it’s safe to come down here,” McDaniel said. “I’d also like to see parking lots guarded better, you know, with all the cars being broken into.”

Green called the vote “a significant step toward addressing the unprecedented challenges facing our city.”

Spencer acknowledged the legislation reflects compromise rather than consensus.

“While this bill is not considered perfect by any stakeholder or anybody on the planet, it is something that I think the majority of us feel really good about,” she said.

Alderman Rasheen Aldridge said the final package reflects the reality that no single allocation could address every need facing the city.

“There is not enough money in this settlement that would have rebuilt Northside post-tornado. There’s lots of needs in the city as well as infrastructure as we continue to see water main breaks. Sometimes policy is a lot of compromise and trying to figure out how do we get it across the finish line,” Aldridge told The St. Louis American.

“I get how some people are frustrated that we didn’t reach the $150 (million), but I think we got as close as possible and there are still a lot of opportunities on the state level to hopefully help North St. Louis,” he said.

“You know, I think this is a good start.”

The spending plan creates dedicated funds for each spending category but does not authorize individual projects. Many expenditures will still require contracts, budget approvals or additional action before construction begins or money reaches residents, businesses and organizations.

Before the tornado, elected officials and residents floated ideas for the settlement proceeds that included child care, scholarships, public safety, neighborhood redevelopment and economic development. Then the May 16 tornado changed the debate.

Green said the city’s Tornado Recovery Office has exhausted its available funding, making approval of the legislation especially urgent. The original proposal would have placed $25 million into reserves, but aldermen redirected that money after residents urged the city to prioritize neighborhoods still recovering from the storm.

The vote settles where the money will go. The next challenge will be turning those dollars into repaired homes, stronger infrastructure and neighborhoods still waiting to recover.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.