ST. LOUIS — The city of St. Louis is seeking more than two-thirds of the $513 million Rams settlement, according to people familiar with the matter.
The people said the city, St. Louis County and the entity that owns the Dome at America's Center, the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, last week met on the matter, but came to no agreement on how to split the funds.
But city officials, who feel their government was most aggrieved by the Rams' 2016 relocation to Los Angeles, in part because the team played its games at downtown's Dome, want up to 70% of the funds, the people said.
St. Louis County is likely to make its own case for losses; the Rams' former practice facility was in Earth City.
And the RSA is surely citing its need for major capital. It's responsible for the Dome, and maintenance payments from the city, county and state of Missouri will cease in February 2024. The 27-year-old facility, still used for conventions and next year for the XFL, is likely eventually to need a new roof and other major improvements totaling millions of dollars. Also, the RSA, which has said it could run out of money by the end of next year without settlement funds, spent $18 million on a plan to build the Rams a stadium along the Mississippi riverfront north of downtown.
There has been no previous public reporting on what the parties are seeking from the settlement, an unprecedented infusion of private capital that's been the subject of significant debate.
Spokespeople for St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones declined to comment.
A spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, Doug Moore, said he had "no idea" what the city may be asking for, and did not detail what the county wants.
Read the full story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
