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ST. LOUIS – The Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen today voted to advance Board Bill 131/153 The TRANSFORM STL Act, which would invest funds from the Rams settlement into disinvested neighborhoods in North and Southeast St. Louis, Downtown, water infrastructure, and other priorities.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. Interim CEO Dustin Allison issued the following statement regarding today’s vote:
“Job one is to get St. Louis growing again, and we will not grow if we don’t address depopulation in North St. Louis and economic stagnation Downtown. The Rams funds represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make transformative investments in disinvested neighborhoods in North and Southeast St. Louis and in Downtown. That is exactly what the committee substitute to Board Bill 153, as negotiated by Alderwomen Pam Boyd and Alisha Sonnier, would do.
“We want to thank Alderwomen Boyd and Sonnier for their tireless work and collaboration in negotiating legislation that would make historic investments that will help drive growth in every neighborhood in the City. We also want to thank Mayor Jones and her staff for their work on this legislation and Comptroller Darlene Green for her support for the bill.
“Some of the amendments adopted today in the HUDZ Committee cut vital funds from Downtown, the economic engine of the City. Failing to invest Rams funds in Downtown at the transformative levels called for in the bill introduced by Alderwomen Boyd and Sonnier will block vital growth and development in St. Louis.
“We want to recognize and express our appreciation for comments made by Alderpeople Boyd, Sonnier, Browning, and others that called out the critical impact of Downtown on the City as a whole. Despite receiving less than 5% of its expenditures, Downtown St. Louis provides nearly 20% of the revenue to the City’s general fund that pays for all the services the City provides.”
Media Contact: Tony Wyche | 314-398-9991 | Tony@GreaterSTLInc.com