City of St. Louis Moves Over 120 Approved Properties Into Demolition Pipeline With State SB1 Funding Support

The City of St. Louis Recovery Office today announced that over 120 tornado-damaged properties have been submitted and approved by the State of Missouri for demolition under the Senate Bill 1 (SB1) demolition program. 36 demolitions are actively underway or have been completed, and the remaining will be completed over the next few months.

The SB1 demolition program allocates $10 million directly to the City of St. Louis to demolish tornado-damaged properties that are not eligible for federal private property debris removal assistance. The majority of properties in the pilot, 74%, were already vacant and condemned before the May 2025 tornado. The disaster made these properties acutely dangerous, but FEMA and standard insurance do not cover demolition for properties in this condition. SB1 is the funding mechanism that allows the City to address them. Approximately 50% of demolitions are involuntary condemnations, in which the property owner did not apply for or was deemed ineligible for the City's Private Property Assistance, and will ultimately be billed for demolition costs.

“Rebuilding the neighborhoods that were devastated by the tornado has to start with visible progress on removing dangerous properties like these that have no chance of getting repaired, while supporting residents repairing and moving back into their homes,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “I am grateful for our partnership with the State, helping us move forward on these demolitions of properties that are not FEMA eligible.”

Where the work is happening

The more than 120 approved properties focus on major street corridors and span 12 North St. Louis neighborhoods, with the heaviest concentrations in Greater Ville, Fountain Park, and Academy. Significant additional work is underway in Penrose, O’Fallon, Lewis Place and Kingsway East. Together, the properties total approximately 362,000 square feet of structures to be cleared.

Why SB1 was needed

FEMA’s Private Property Demolition Removal program does not cover demolition costs for properties that were vacant, condemned, commercial, or entity-owned, such as LLCs, prior to the disaster. For tornado-damaged properties in St. Louis that fall outside federal eligibility, the SB1 pilot is the funding pathway that allows the City to clear them. Without SB1, these properties would remain in their tornado-damaged state. The State of Missouri enacted Senate Bill 1 in late 2025 to create this pathway, allocating $10 million to St. Louis for the pilot. The City and State agreed on a direct reimbursement model with a 7% administrative fee paid by the State.

“This is the work of partnership between a city and a state. The properties we are clearing are properties no one else was going to address. SB1 makes this possible,” said Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks.

This work will occur alongside more than 350 potential FEMA private property debris removal, city emergency, and LRA DED-funded demolitions. The City estimates that as many as 1,600 potential demolitions are required in the tornado zone, with over 80% of these properties vacant or condemned prior to the tornado.

Protecting public health during the demolition

Safety and neighborhood notification are built into every demolition. Crews distribute door hangers to surrounding residents at least 48 hours before work begins, pre-wet structures the night before, and apply continuous water suppression throughout the demolition to control dust. All asbestos-containing materials are handled and disposed of in accordance with state and federal requirements, and the Recovery Office is actively developing partnerships to provide air monitoring at active sites.

What comes next

Demolition will be executed on State-approved properties in the coming months. Additional submissions may be added or swapped out through the balance of the pilot. Active demolition sites will be marked with branded STLRecovers signage, and the Recovery Office maintains an online public tracker at app.stlrecovers.com so residents and stakeholders can see the work as it progresses.

Demolitions under the FEMA Private Property Debris Removal, led by the State, are expected to begin in May.

Recovery from the May 2025 tornado is not finished. Families are still rebuilding. Repair work continues alongside demolition, funded through primarily city pathways. The SB1 pilot is one piece of a longer recovery, addressed in partnership with the State because no other funding source could reach these properties. The Recovery Office continues to coordinate across federal, state, and city resources to support residents still navigating loss and displacement.

Examples of Approved Involuntary Demolition Properties

Below is a subset of 45 damaged properties that have been condemned and approved for involuntary demolition in the SB1 pipeline:

• 1112 N KINGSHIGHWAY BLVD
• 1245 WALTON AV
• 1246 AUBERT AV
• 1260 AUBERT AV
• 1326 WALTON AV
• 1333 WALTON AV
• 1533 MARCUS AV
• 1916 DICK GREGORY PL
• 3042 VINE GROVE AV
• 4159 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DR
• 4239 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DR
• 4241 W SACRAMENTO AV
• 4277 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DR
• 4358 LABADIE AV
• 4400 SAN FRANCISCO AV
• 4401 COTTAGE AV
• 4403 COTTAGE AV
• 4412 KOSSUTH AV
• 4412 SAN FRANCISCO AV
• 4433 KOSSUTH AV
• 4439 SAN FRANCISCO AV
• 4443 LABADIE AV
• 4445 PAGE BLVD
• 4453 KOSSUTH AV
• 4457 LABADIE AV
• 4459 LABADIE AV
• 4482 SAN FRANCISCO AV
• 4561 COTE BRILLIANTE AV
• 4563 PAGE BLVD
• 4565 PAGE BLVD
• 4593 ALDINE AV
• 4617 NEWBERRY TER
• 4622 NEWBERRY TER
• 4706 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DR
• 4800 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING DR
• 4830 ST LOUIS AV
• 4850 NATURAL BRIDGE AV
• 5026 MINERVA AV
• 5035 PAGE BLVD
• 5040 CATES AV
• 5050 CATES AV
• 5139 ENRIGHT AV
• 5172 KENSINGTON AV
• 5222 KENSINGTON AV
• 5226 ENRIGHT AV

In addition to these, the City has received approval for 76 owner-requested demolitions with rights-of-entry, and 19 are undergoing further review and discussions with owners.