ST. LOUIS, Mo. — As St. Louis prepares to invest $55 million from its Rams settlement in downtown revitalization, Mayor Cara Spencer is traveling to Cincinnati and Detroit to study approaches other Midwestern cities have taken to attract development, address vacant properties and bring more activity to their urban centers.
The mayor will be accompanied by the city’s chief operations officer and chief economic development officer, according to an Oct. 19 announcement from the Mayor’s Office. The administration says the trip is intended to foster collaboration with other cities and identify programs that could be adapted to St. Louis.
Cincinnati: Downtown development and public spaces
In Cincinnati, Spencer is scheduled to meet with Mayor Aftab Pureval and other local officials to discuss downtown development and programming for civic spaces. St. Louis officials say they want to learn from Cincinnati’s efforts to strengthen its urban core and encourage residents, workers and visitors to spend time downtown.
The discussions come as St. Louis considers how to deploy its designated downtown funding. The Mayor’s Office describes its goal as making downtown a place where people can live, work and connect.
Detroit: Blight, neighborhoods and partnerships
Spencer also plans to meet with Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield. That portion of the trip will focus on approaches to reducing blight, revitalizing neighborhoods and developing partnerships between public agencies and private organizations.
According to the St. Louis Mayor’s Office, the delegation wants to examine initiatives already used in Detroit and assess whether similar strategies could be implemented in St. Louis. The office has not announced any agreements or specific programs that St. Louis has committed to adopting as part of the visit.
Where the $55 million comes from
The $55 million downtown allocation is part of a larger $230 million plan for the city’s settlement with the former St. Louis Rams. The legislation, Ordinance 72165, took effect July 13, 2026.
- $110 million for tornado recovery and North St. Louis.
- $65 million for critical infrastructure and citywide needs.
- $55 million for downtown revitalization.
The distribution was outlined by the mayor and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green when the Rams settlement proposal was introduced in May.
What comes next for St. Louis?
The meetings could help shape the administration’s downtown and neighborhood redevelopment priorities, but the Mayor’s Office has not identified which projects or policies might emerge from the trip. Whether approaches used in Cincinnati or Detroit would work in St. Louis remains to be evaluated.
Spencer is scheduled to return to St. Louis on October 28, 2026.
Photo credit: VOTP News STL.
Sources: City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office, Oct. 19, 2026 travel announcement; May 14, 2026 Rams settlement allocation announcement; and Ordinance 72165.
