Rams Bill Supporting Tornado Recovery, Critical Infrastructure Maintenance and Downtown Revitalization to be Introduced Friday

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer and President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green announced a board bill to invest $230 of the City’s Rams settlement, with $110 million to support tornado recovery and North St. Louis, $65 million going to critical infrastructure maintenance citywide and $55 million for the revitalization of Downtown.

This bill is the result of many weeks of collaborative efforts between the Mayor’s Office, Office of the President of the Board of Aldermen, the Comptroller’s Office, the Board of Aldermen and a long list of community stakeholders, and is sponsored by President Green.

“The ways we invest these one-time funds must be ambitious, realizable and catalytic, creating a positive cycle of growth that lifts up every St. Louisan and, especially, St. Louisans living in tornado-impacted and generationally disinvested neighborhoods,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “We must also be clear that the Rams funds by themselves are not enough to fully address any of these issues. We have to use each dollar in ways that leverage additional investment from the business and philanthropic communities, as well as state and federal governments. This plan sets out to do exactly that.”

The bill will be introduced by President Green on Friday, May 15.

“I see this bill as an opportunity to bridge long-standing divides in our city through targeted investments, and I want residents to know that we don't see this as a first or last step—it's just one of many next steps we need to take to rebuild our city,” said President Green.

The total appropriation is divided into three key funds, each designed for high-impact, catalytic results.

1. Tornado Recovery & North St. Louis: $110 Million

This fund supports both recovery and revitalization, investing in housing and neighborhood stability for long-term community resilience.

• Tornado Housing and Neighborhood Stabilization ($70M): Dedicated to home repair, housing preservation and production with a focus on CDCs, emergency FEMA/State ineligible demolition, sidewalk repairs and tree removal.
• Tornado Resident Support & Rehousing ($5M): Provides critical rental and deposit assistance, non-profit case management and direct goods to aid residents' recovery.
• Program Delivery & Administration ($4M): Ensures proper fiscal compliance, systems and staffing to effectively manage the large-scale tornado recovery effort.
• North St. Louis Neighborhood Plan Implementation Fund ($31M): Funds the implementation of Neighborhood Plans adopted by the Planning Commission, including supporting housing accessibility, land assemblage, site preparation and small business funding.

Critically, this board bill represents the next phase of the City’s recovery strategy, following the initial targeted appropriations. The $110 million for North St. Louis Rebuilding scales and creates the long-term strategy from the original $30 million for recovery efforts appropriated in BB31 (2025), the $3.4 million for winter shelter for unhoused and displaced residents in BB94 (2025) and the $1 million to provide rental relocation assistance through the Impacted Tenants Fund in BB93 (2025). The new appropriation transitions initial relief efforts into sustained, long-term renewal.

2. Citywide Infrastructure & Neighborhood Improvements: $65 Million

These funds address long-term infrastructure needs and prioritize projects based on data-driven planning and equitable distribution.

• Water Infrastructure ($30M): Supports long-term maintenance and improvements with dollars that can be leveraged to secure additional funds through loans, bonds and federal and state grants.
• Public Infrastructure ($30M): Investments in street paving, traffic calming, sidewalk repairs, hazardous tree/stump removal and recreation center redevelopment. Projects are prioritized using comprehensive plans, such as the High Injury Network and the City’s ADA Transition Plan.
• Vacancy Reduction ($5M): Supports City functions essential for blight reduction, including expanding dedicated staff to enforce vacancy and nuisance laws against absentee property owners and collect related fines and a "Pre-Approved Plans Library” to streamline Building Division processes for development of property.

3. Downtown Revitalization: $55 Million

Investments to strengthen the central economic core to increase revenue for the entire city.

• Strategic Major Capital Projects ($15M): Dedicated to projects like the acquisition and site preparation of major vacant buildings (e.g., Railway Exchange).
• Riverfront Fund ($15M): Supports planning, design and infrastructure for the Riverfront from Chouteau to Biddle, including increasing commercial activity, pedestrian access, signage, wayfinding, beautification, accessibility, urban activation support infrastructure, incentivizing riverfront ground-level development and improving river-oriented attractions.
• Downtown Infrastructure ($15M): Focuses on creating safer, more walkable streetscapes, one-way to two-way conversions, spot sidewalk repair/ADA compliance and expanded street/walkway lighting.
• Downtown Retail & Corridors Program ($7.5M): Incentivizes strategic retail and restaurant activation through grants for tenant improvements and new business relocation.
• Event Attraction ($2.5M): Creates a public-private partnership fund to build upon the city’s prior success hosting large sporting, entertainment and conventions (requires an at least two-to-one private match).

This preserves $25 million in Rams settlement funds for a safety net and long-term fiscal stability.

Related Resources

• 2026 Board Bill 22: Rams Settlement Funds