St. Louis aldermen propose investing $232M in Rams money in north city and downtown

Four members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen filed legislation Tuesday to appropriate $232.5 million in Rams settlement money to parts of north St. Louis, southeast St. Louis and Downtown.

The bill, sponsored by Ward 13 Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, proposes to invest $107.5 million for infrastructure projects in disinvested neighborhoods and downtown, $85 million for housing improvements and $15 million for small business support.

"The neighborhoods I represent in North St. Louis have waited too long for investment. We have needs that have gone unmet for decades, and we can no longer sit back and talk about saving this money for a rainy day; in my community, it's been pouring for decades," Boyd said in a statement. "This bill will bring much-needed investment to North and Southeast St. Louis and in our economic engine, Downtown."

It also has support from Ward 11 Alderwoman Laura Keys, Ward 8 Alderwoman Cara Spencer and Ward 2 Alderman Tom Oldenburg. The legislation will be introduced to the entire Board of Aldermen on November 15.

The proposition to use the money from the Rams settlement was the subject of a Committee of the Whole meeting by the Board of Aldermen last month . During that, a handful of Alders expressed skepticism about using the funds in this manner, citing the rollout of American Rescue Plan Act funding, which must be spent by the end of 2026.

The Rams settlement money has no such timeframe.