A St. Louis Board of Aldermen committee voted Tuesday to redirect $25 million in Rams settlement funds toward tornado recovery, water infrastructure and efforts to combat vacant properties, while preserving a controversial $55 million allocation for downtown revitalization.
The action is not final. The bill now advances to the full Board of Aldermen, which could take its first votes next week on a proposal that would spend $230 million from the city’s Rams settlement proceeds.
The committee’s vote followed nearly six hours of public testimony and came amid growing pressure from activists and residents who argued more of the settlement should be directed to North St. Louis and neighborhoods still recovering from the May 2025 tornado.
That sentiment was reflected in a Board of Aldermen survey conducted in May. 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.
The Budget and Public Employees Committee approved amendments directing $10 million to tornado-related housing repairs and resident assistance, $10 million to water infrastructure improvements and an additional $5 million to vacancy-reduction efforts.
The revised proposal would direct at least $120 million toward tornado recovery and North St. Louis redevelopment, including housing repairs, neighborhood improvements and recovery assistance. The measure also includes $40 million for water infrastructure, $10 million for vacancy reduction, $30 million for citywide infrastructure improvements and $55 million for downtown revitalization.
At Tuesday’s hearing, many speakers urged aldermen to increase the North St. Louis allocation to at least $150 million.
“What will your family members say?” activist Ohun Ashe asked aldermen. “That downtown interests meant more than people?”
The pressure from residents also shaped some of the amendments approved Tuesday. Alderman Rasheen Aldridge successfully sponsored an amendment adding $10 million for tornado recovery, while Alderman Alisha Sonnier backed a measure directing interest earned on downtown funds during the next two years toward North St. Louis projects.
One area of broad agreement involved tackling vacant properties. The changes doubled the vacancy initiative from $5 million to $10 million.
“If we deploy it strategically, it can make a difference,” said Peter Hoffman of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, who testified in support of the additional funding.
Committee Chairwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard said aldermen were attempting to advance a proposal capable of winning final approval.
“We have to work together down here,” Hubbard said.
Board President Megan Green described the legislation as part of 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.
Supporters of the downtown allocation argue that a stronger downtown benefits the entire city. City planning documents call for using the money for infrastructure improvements, riverfront upgrades, retail activation and redevelopment projects, including efforts to stabilize the long-vacant Railway Exchange Building.
City officials have also noted that major events can generate significant economic activity, citing an estimated $35 million impact from the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships and NCAA March Madness games.
Still, Tuesday’s vote leaves unresolved one of the central questions surrounding the proposal: whether downtown should receive $55 million while many North St. Louis residents continue to struggle with tornado recovery.
The full Board of Aldermen will now decide whether to approve the revised spending plan.