ST. LOUIS – In a battle between some St. Louis aldermen over how to spend the Rams settlement funds, we’re learning more on who supports and is against spending hundreds of millions of dollars in distressed areas, including downtown.
Friday morning, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen had a first reading of Board Bill 131.
The bill calls for some funds to be allocated to specific neighborhoods, including north, southeast, and downtown St. Louis. But some aldermen have had their questions regarding the proposal.
It’s a heated debate among the lawmakers, with some saying the bill needs to be more specific on where the money is going and insisting a backup plan to set up an endowment.
“It’s a handful of alder people who support 131 who have decided to go around our public engagement process in order to forward a proposal that has been put forth by corporate interest. The majority of the board of aldermen still stands and is committed to the public engagement process that centers residents in the city,” Board President Megan Green said.
According to the bill:
$107.5 million would be invested for infrastructure projects, including $55 million to disinvested neighborhoods and $52.5 million to downtown.
$85 million would be invested toward rehabilitation of high-impact areas and buildings – $35 million in North City, $20 million in southeast St. Louis, and $30 million downtown.
$25 million would be invested housing improvement, including $10 million downtown and $15 in disinvested neighborhoods.
$15 million would be invested to support small businesses and commercial corridors, including $10 million of which would go to downtown and $5 million to disinvested neighborhoods.
The bill, introduced by Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, is co-sponsored by Alderwomen Laura Keys and Cara Spencer, along with Alderman Tom Oldenburg.
“The bill is aspirational—it sets goals for a real path for investing these funds in areas where we need them the most. Right now, I’m thinking about our city house with a massive crack in its foundation, and we are seeing population loss like we have not seen in decades,” Spencer said.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s office is saying not so fast.
“There is not a lot of concrete plans behind it. We’re certainly not supportive of it. Mayor Jones and President Megan Green are working really closely to put it together with our departments, with the community, and getting feedback, and are going to be introducing their own bill in December…for the benefit of the entire city,” Connor Kerrigan with the City of St. Louis said.