City of St. Louis Announces Close-Out of Phase 1 Tornado Zone Emergency Demolitions, Sets Path for Phase 2

Today, the City of St. Louis Recovery Office announced that Phase 1 emergency tornado zone demolitions are closing out in the North St. Louis neighborhoods hit by the May 16, 2025 tornado.

The Recovery Office's focus is delivering hope for every resident: your home is safe, your neighborhood has a future, and there is a plan for you in it. Demolition is just the starting point. Clearing what can't be preserved to make way for what comes next brings needed safety and stability to the neighborhood.

"When the tornado hit, families were living next to buildings that could come down at any moment," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "Phase 1 was about making every block safe. We will finish that work in Phase 2 as we begin to shift our focus to rebuilding."

The scale of the demolition work required reflects not just tornado damage, but decades of disinvestment. Before the tornado, 70 to 75 percent of the properties now in the demolition pipeline were already vacant or condemned.

Phase 1 by the Numbers

The Recovery Office estimates 1,400 to 1,600 demolitions are needed across the tornado zone. Phase 1 will complete over 700 demolitions, led by the City and its partners, roughly 45 to 50 percent of the total. Approximately 430 demolitions are privately owned properties, and more than 270 are publicly owned LRA properties.

Phase 1 focused on three priorities:

• Emergency demolitions of buildings already down or posing an immediate safety threat to neighboring properties or the right of way (streets and alleys)
• Damaged structures along the neighborhood's primary high-traffic corridors
• Demolitions requested by property owners

Work began in 2025 and accelerated sharply in March 2026. In May 2026, fewer than 100 demolitions were completed. Today that number is over 560, and by the end of Phase 1 that number will be over 700 demolitions.

Demolition work will largely pause in December, except for emergencies. The City will focus on closing out remaining demolition work and permits, while planning for the next phase of demolitions. Operations are planned to resume in early 2027 with the start of Phase 2.

Phase 1 was funded through a partnership of more than $30 million in City, State, and Federal sources:

• City/Local: $11 million ($7 million in Board Bill 22 Rams settlement funds, $3 million in General Revenue through the Building Division, and $1 million in MSD demolition funds)
• State: $10 million (Missouri Senate Bill 1)
• Federal: $12 million estimated ($6 million in ARPA funds administered by the Land Reutilization Authority through the Regional Crime Commission in partnership with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, $4 million in State-managed FEMA-funded Private Property Debris Removal, and $2 million in City-managed FEMA-funded demolition)

"Phase 1 took a partnership across every level of government, and it delivered for residents," said Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery Officer. "We will bring that same partnership to finishing the job."

"LRA was ready to pivot and partner with the Tornado Recovery Office to support recovery efforts by demolishing tornado-damaged public LRA properties," said Stephen Westbrooks, President and CEO, St. Louis Development Corporation, which oversees the City's land bank, the Land Reutilization Authority. "Every demolished structure represents an opportunity to build back better and stronger."

What Comes Next

Phase 2 will complete the remaining emergency, high-traffic corridor, and owner-requested demolitions, along with priority demolitions of structures that have already collapsed or remain dangerous to the neighborhood. The City also hopes to target the remaining hardscapes and vegetation on demolition lots cleared through the FEMA Private Property Debris Removal program managed by the State of Missouri, secondary structures and debris requested by residents that were not eligible for FEMA funding, and demolitions around major neighborhood rebuilding projects. Work is expected to begin in early 2027.

Phase 3 will address additional demolitions tied to economic recovery and neighborhood rebuilding. These will be coordinated with home repair, resident-led neighborhood plans, and new investment, so demolition becomes one tool in bringing neighborhoods back.

The City estimates an additional $40-$45 million in funding is needed to address the full scope of demolition needs. The City continues to work with all partners at the local, state, and federal levels to assess options to help close this gap and look towards a rebuilding effort.

"Phase 1 showed what is possible when every level of government works together," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "I am thankful for the State of Missouri’s initial $10 million in support, and for their work delivering the FEMA Private Property Debris Removal program. Hundreds of buildings still need to come down before these blocks can be rebuilt, and we will continue working with all partners to make our neighborhoods safe and build a future we can all be proud of."

After Demolition

Many of the cleared lots are privately owned. The City will continue to work with LRA, residents and property owners to bring vacant land back into productive use. Future development plans will be based on resident-led neighborhood plans that set the vision for each block. All neighborhood plans will be completed and adopted by early 2027 and can be found at planstl.com.

Residents can monitor demolition progress at stlrecovers.com, including which demolitions are in the pipeline.

Residents with questions or concerns should reach out to the Recovery Office by visiting the STLRecovers Outreach Center at 4401 Natural Bridge Ave., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by calling the Resident Support Team at 314-207-7395.