The Los Angeles Rams left St. Louis more than a decade ago, but the financial consequences of that decision are still reshaping the city they left behind.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer signed Board Bill 22 into law Monday, approving how the city will spend its $255 million share of the settlement tied to the Rams’ 2016 relocation.
The plan directs the money toward tornado recovery, neighborhood redevelopment, water and street infrastructure, and downtown projects, according to Spectrum News.
The bill turns a long-running legal fight into a collection of projects residents could eventually see across the city.
Rams Settlement Will Fund Recovery and Infrastructure
The largest portion of the plan, roughly $120 million, will support tornado recovery and redevelopment in north St. Louis neighborhoods.
Another $75 million is designated for citywide infrastructure, including $40 million for the city’s water department. The remaining $55 million will support downtown priorities such as reducing vacancy, attracting businesses and events, and improving the riverfront.
The first $2.5 million is expected to pay for removing trees and stumps and repairing sidewalks damaged by the May 2025 tornado. Those costs had not been reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The tornado caused more than $1.5 billion in damage, while the city also faces more than $500 million in needed water infrastructure work.
The settlement cannot cover either problem on its own.
The city’s official announcement said the $40 million water allocation will support essential repairs immediately. Downtown work will target large vacant properties and riverfront development.
Another $15 million will go toward riverfront investment. Some of a $2 million event-attraction fund could also support an effort to bring the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to St. Louis.
Spencer said the signing allowed the city to begin turning the loss of the Rams into an investment opportunity. The larger challenge will be turning broad allocations into completed projects.
Los Angeles Move Produced a $790 Million Settlement
The city’s $255 million spending plan represents only part of the original agreement.
The Rams and the NFL agreed to a $790 million settlement in November 2021, ending a lawsuit filed by St. Louis, St. Louis County and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority.
The lawsuit alleged that the NFL ignored its relocation guidelines when approving the franchise’s move.
The Rams had played in St. Louis for 21 seasons before owner Stan Kroenke returned the team to Los Angeles in 2016.
St. Louis interests argued that the move cost the region millions in ticket, amusement and earnings-tax revenue and that the team had planned to leave while publicly denying it.
The three St. Louis parties later divided the available proceeds.
The city received $280 million, including $30 million committed to expanding the Dome at America’s Center. St. Louis County received $169 million, while the regional sports authority received $70 million, according to the city’s settlement overview.
The city invested its share while officials and residents debated how to use it. The public process received 12,442 online and paper responses during a later voting phase, helping narrow the priorities that reached the final bill.
Firm timelines remain limited.
Spencer said redevelopment plans for north St. Louis could take six months to a year, and some downtown projects may require even longer.
The signing still represents the most obvious move from legal settlement to visible action.
The Rams have built a new era in Los Angeles, and St. Louis is now preparing to use the money from their departure to shape its own next chapter.
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