Lawsuit Settled, Public Money in Hand: Arena Renovations Moves Forward in St. Louis

St. Louis seems to be a never-ending source of stadium financing controversy.

1 minute read

December 14, 2017, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


St. Louis Light Rail

Saint Louis Missouri Metro / Wikimedia Commons

Sarah Fenske provides a post-mortem on a deal that allow taxpayer funding of a renovation of the Scottrade Center, home of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues.

"Faced with two principled stands against a giveaway of money for Scottrade Center that could cost St. Louis taxpayers $107 million, the Blues fought hard," writes Fenske.

Fenske's assessment of the situation is that development interests with aggressive lawyers run the city, and the article includes all the gory details of the lawsuits that overcame the opposition to deliver taxpayer funding to the project.

St. Louis has navigated a series of stadium proposal controversies in recent years. First there was the scramble to build a new NFL stadium in the failed effort to keep the National Football League's Rams in the city. Later, St. Louis voters rejected a soccer stadium proposal that would have relied in part on public financing. Still, some developers keep coming back to the well. In October, developers announced plans for a Ballpark Village that would rely on a $105 million bond offering by the St. Louis Industrial Development Authority.

Monday, December 11, 2017 in St. Louis Riverfront Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

3 hours ago - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

4 hours ago - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.