To the Members of the Board of Aldermen and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment:
We, the undersigned organizations, community leaders, and residents, write to demand that $150 million of the Rams settlement funds be immediately allocated to support the rebuilding and long term recovery of North St. Louis following the devastating May 16th, 2025 tornado.
In the wake of this disaster, North City residents have shown what true community care looks like. Neighbors have cleared debris, shared food, and organized relief efforts with urgency and compassion. Mutual aid networks and grassroots organizations have moved swiftly to meet immediate needs, often filling gaps left by a slow and insufficient governmental response.
At the same time, the City of St. Louis has moved at a glacial pace to deliver the scale of support that this moment requires. Families remain displaced. Homes sit damaged and unrepaired. Small businesses face uncertain futures. The longer we delay meaningful investment, the deeper the harm becomes.
We recognize that there are competing interests for the Rams settlement funds. We know business interests are seeking to claim these resources. We also know that there are infrastructure needs that will improve the quality of services for all residents. We have watched for 12-months as elected leadership allows those competing interests to be used to stall investment in North City.
This is a defining moment that calls for moral clarity and strategic leadership. Investing in North St. Louis is both the right and necessary choice.
North City has endured decades of disinvestment, population loss, and systemic neglect. The tornado did not create these conditions; it exposed and intensified them. This is an opportunity to begin to repair harm, stabilize communities, and invest in a future where residents can thrive.
We understand the Ram’s fund is a one-time cash infusion for this city. We understand there are competing interests. But we also understand that all of St. Louis will fail if North City is not invested in immediately.
We demand that the City of St. Louis allocate at least $150 million from the Ram’s settlement fund to North St. Louis recovery. The $150 million invested into recovery would provide direct support for residents to repair and rebuild their homes, and allow North City to begin to heal.
It would stabilize housing and prevent displacement. It would support small businesses and local economic recovery. It would invest in community-led rebuilding efforts that reflect the needs and vision of residents. It would strengthen infrastructure and resilience in neighborhoods that have long been under-resourced.
This investment is not just about recovery. It is about the future of our city. Strategic investment in North St. Louis will yield long term benefits for the entire region, strengthening our tax base, stabilizing communities, and demonstrating a commitment to all residents.
We urge Mayor Spencer, President Green, Comptroller Baringer and members of the Board of Aldermen, to act with urgency and intention. The people of North St. Louis cannot afford further delay. Leadership in this moment requires bold action that matches the scale of the need.
We stand with the residents of North St. Louis and call on you to do the same.
Until North City is whole,
Action St. Louis (& the Undersigned)
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