St. Louis board passes $255M Rams settlement plan for tornado recovery, infrastructure and downtown

Board Bill 22 passes the Board

St. Louis aldermen passed Board Bill 22 on July 2 by a 12-3 vote, advancing a $255 million Rams settlement spending plan. The bill now goes to Mayor Cara Spencer, and it is not law until the mayor signs it or lets it become law without action.

Where the money is going

The final ordinance keeps the money in three broad buckets: $120 million for North St. Louis and tornado recovery, $80 million for citywide infrastructure and neighborhood improvements, and $55 million for downtown. The bill creates separate funds for tornado recovery, North St. Louis neighborhood planning, water infrastructure, public infrastructure, vacancy reduction, and downtown projects.

What residents may notice first

The most immediate effects are likely to come from tornado-recovery work, water-system spending, and street-and-sidewalk projects that can move through existing city systems. The public infrastructure fund covers items like street repairs, traffic calming, curb ramps, lighting, trees and recreation center work, while the water fund is aimed at maintenance, matching funds and planning.

Downtown spending is also part of the package, but most of those projects still need later approvals, contracts and budget steps before work begins.

Sources

• City of St. Louis Board Bill 22 page
• First Alert 4 report on Rams settlement vote
• St. Louis Business Journal report on Rams settlement spending