ST. LOUIS – The people who run the Dome at America’s Center where the Rams used to play will meet Wednesday.
This meeting follows the $790 million settlement of the St. Louis lawsuit over the Rams move to Los Angeles. The regional convention and sports complex authority will get a share of that money along with St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
After attorneys’ fees, the city, county, and stadium will share about $514 million. All three groups must still decide how to divide that money.
“We cannot look at it as an envelope full of birthday (money) that we just received and we can’t wait to get out of the house and have our mother and father drop us off at the mall so we can go shopping,” St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed said.
The City of St. Louis should get the largest share, Reed said, since it has suffered the heaviest losses with the Rams vacating the dome downtown. He also pointed out that St. Louis County backed out of financing for a new riverfront stadium to keep the Rams in St. Louis.
St. Louis County Council Chairwoman Rita Days wants a portion of the money earmarked for a new, long-awaited, north county rec center. She also likes the idea of a larger, combined project from all three winners of the lawsuit.
“I have no idea what that will be at this time. I think it should stand as some kind of monument, memorial, as something that (says) ‘When you don’t follow the rules, this is what you get,’” she said.
