Housing, Urban Development and Zoning - Regular Meeting

Good morning. We'll start today's housing, urban development, and zoning committee meeting calling to order. Madame clerk, please call the order. Alderman McCone, present. Alderwoman Schwitzer, present. Alderwoman Keys, Alderwoman Sonier, present. Alderman Browning, Alderman Aldridge, present. Chair Clark Hubard here. Alerwoman Keys, Alman Browning, we have five present. We have a quorum. All right. With that, I'll accept a motion to approve the minutes from Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. So move. So move. Second. Second.

So move. It was moved by Vice Chair Sier and seconded by Alderman Alders that we approve the minutes from Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. Madame clerk, please call the role. Alderman Conn I. Alderwoman Schwitzer I. Alderwoman Keys. Vice Chair Sonier I. Alderman Browning. Alderman Aldridge I. Chair Clark Hubard I. Alderwoman Keys. Alderman Browning. We have five eye votes. All right. With that we successfully approve the minutes from Tuesday March 3rd 2026. Alman Aldridge, you're recognized on board bill 168.

Thank you, Madam Chair, uh woman and members of the HUDs committee. Uh today I wanted to present to you all board bill 168 which is amending a current uh petition uh for a SID in the boundaries of the uh soccer uh stadium uh this past several years ago where the soccer stadium kind of have their own SID and only thing we're doing is just uh amending it and changing the boundaries just a little bit. when we did or when the SI was originally passed in the past, it included the garage that is located at Olive and 20th Street, but the stairs of the garage was left out. So, we just want to uh amend it to complete a full package of the boundaries that we're looking at. And today with me I have uh Miss Courtney from uh the city that will talk about a little of the reason to extend uh these boundaries and amend the currency if she can be able to come up as my expert speaker.

Courtney, can you raise your right hand? Swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Tell the truth. Thank you. Please proceed. You can state your name and your title and then

My name is Courtney Miller. I'm the director of public engagement for St. Louis City SC. So, thank you alderman for having us here today to talk a little bit about the soccer stadium stood. It was uh passed in 2020 right before the stadium sort of broke ground. The idea was to be able to recover some of the investment cost for infrastructure that the stadium was investing in the district. So, Energizer Park and the surrounding district, it's about 32 acres, is privately owned and operated. And currently the district has invested about $667 million into the stadium, the the training facilities, the the training uh the training pitches, the front office, all the different areas, but also the tunnel that went underneath Market Street, sidewalks all up along the district, lighting upgrades, sewer upgrades, and other types of investments that we put into the neighborhood and surrounding district. So the SID was a way for us in order to as a public a privately funded project to be able to recover some of the infrastructure cost and during the time when it was created there were a few gaps in the the SID that was created. One was our front office headquarters was not built yet so that was not included. So the the amendment includes the front office. It also includes a sort of donut hole that you can see in the board bill. Um, I also have copies of the old version if anyone would like to see. There's an excluded parcel that was actually a parking lot that was partially owned by Anthem at the time. And so before it was purchased and able to be included into the district. So that was excluded from the SID and is actually inside the stadium. So we would like to add that back in. And then we have added a part of Aloe Park West. And we included that is because we have a cooperative agreement with Aloe Park and the parks department in order to help maintain, upgrade, and improve Aloe Park West as part of being

a good neighbor to that area. We know that sometimes we have events such as Bisdash, Greater St. Louis Marathon, some of our larger matches where the overflow can end up in Alo Park. And so that allows the SID adding in Ala Park allows us to use those funds in order for security, trash pickup, and other types of upgrades. There's no revenue that is taken from the park for that. It's just allows us to use these funds in order to help upgrade Aloe Park. So that was in the spirit of the cooperative agreement that was passed between the team and and the parks department. I have copies of that as well if anyone take a look. But basically, um, we've invested about $15 million so far in the surrounding investments, um, and continue to look at different ways in which we can be a really strong neighbor in downtown West and continue to improve, encourage redevelopment, try to, you know, make it a vibrant neighborhood and be invested in what we're doing. I know that we've talked up here many times, but we are a soccer team that was created basically to to be part of the community and to help lift up civic pride and use sports as an investment in our community because it's a huge sports town. It's a huge soccer town and there's a lot of things we can do together using the platform of sports. And this is just a continuation of that basically that was not able to be complete in 2020 because we didn't have all the pieces together such as our front office and and very excite you know excited and hopeful that we continue to complete the SID and uh you know continue to do the good work we're doing in the city and I can certainly answer any questions um regarding that. So

thank you so much. Absolutely. Did you have any other speakers? Okay. Um, madame clerk, are there any public comments signed up for board bill 168? Yes, we have Mr. Connelly. Okay. What we'll do, Miss Miller, is go ahead and take the public comment and then we'll start with questions. Bring you and Alderman Aldridge back up. Thank you. Thank you. Would you like to see the the copy of the previous of the existing SID? Uh, if you can share with the clerk and she can put it in our drive. Thank you, Mr. Connley.

Raise your right hand sort of to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Yes, I do. Please proceed.

Thank you. Uh, Madame Chair, members of the committee, thanks for the opportunity to speak on board Bill 168. Um, I have a neutral position on this particular bill regarding the boundary adjustments. um informational. I think we've got so many incentives led on this uh particular stadium. We've got the tax abatement which is the highest value. We've got um the TDD I believe this SID and then the Port Authority is in the process of they took a step this morning. Alderman Cohen was at the meeting as their commissioner uh representing board of alderman. Um so they've now approved an amended petition and that's going to set in motion uh creating this port improvement district which will also levy an additional 1%. So your beer and food at the stadium are going to get even more expensive and that particular taxing district is governed by the current port authority. So the city's port authority commission will will govern it. And one of the things I'm concerned about with that is the transparency and the posting of meetings. Um, we have Mr. Spikman here who's the council to SLDC who works for Gilmore Bell. I don't think we have anyone from the SLDC staff here. Correct me. Correct me if I'm wrong. And you know SLDC has this position of not being involved in taxing districts. So, if there's a SID or a TDD hearing, they're not in the room, well, just, you know, a couple of blocks down the street, they were, you know, heavily involved this morning in facilitating this board improvement district. Um, I testified there as the only person. the transparency for that district in terms

of a notification is lousy and with three minutes to speak at that hearing I didn't have time to explain all the nuances about why it's so difficult to find out about those hearings um so my recommendation on on this particular um bill here is to increase the representation of the city I believe there may be one city representative but I'm not sure uh but I really feel that the board of ENA should each have a representative. So, someone from the, you know, pointed through the board of order, someone through the controller, someone through the mayor. So, I just think it's, you know, poor practice to have the owner/developer uh control the district. Um, I'd like to I'm wondering if you can upload to the civic clerk drive later the the old map because it's been a very convoluted process with the port district. Apparently, state law doesn't permit the port district to spend funds in a public area. So, the allo plaza is excluded from or will be excluded from that. And this hearing this morning, it's like the third time in the last four years they've tried to establish this port district. So given that it's four years on, it really makes me wonder why they need a new one in addition to the two that exist already. So those are my comments. If you have any questions for me, be happy to answer them or try. Okay. Thank you.

All right. And there were no speakers online. Madam clerk, we have none.

Okay. Miss Miller or Mr. Aldridge, before we go, did you all want to respond to any of the comments or um the information like if you want to find about the soccer stadium, it is online. I pulled the the map from online from the city's website. So all that information is available there too. The port authority part of the reason why that is is because there was a spring discovered underneath the stadium land when we're constructing that pumps a large amount of water that needed to be treated and cleaned throughout the as part of that. So the port authority is part of that effort in order to handle what was otherwise a pretty unexpected thing but um pretty common for the city of St. Louis to have large springs under there. So um but yes, thank you. appreciate all the public comment on that and I can there's any other questions that can answer that as well.

Thank you. A m uh I believe you mentioned uh the site was all privately owned which of course Alo Plaza West is not privately owned. You have to come. Yeah, you have to come to the microphone. No, I'm sorry. Private the stadium is privately owned and operated but the SID know that also includes Alo Park which is city property. Alo Park West. Alo Park West.

Yeah. Just need to be clear about that. Uh so uh and the SID as proposed would now incorporate Alo Plaza which is east of Alo Plaza West. So, just to be clear with folks, Alo Plaza West is the area where on the south side of the stadium, there's the entry feature, the walkway, and also now the memorial to Mil Creek Valley. Um, this extension of the SID would go eastward to include the actual Alo Plaza.

Correct. The western Yeah, the western part of Alo Plaza. the part that is where we typically will see sometimes fans and other folks will be across because typically as part of our our fan experience we shut down 20th Street and so there's fans can kind of hang around and they hang out Luffy's Plaza and we're right next door to Alo Plaza so it enables us to be able to put down trash cans add additional security just make sure that that area gets cleaned up and we had an issue when after a confe match where we had there was extra of trash and the parks department had concerns that and so this is part of our answer to the parks department to say yes we are looking very proactively at how we're going to be good responsible stewards of what happens as part of our events and this is a way for us to you know be able to continue that on

and of course uh SIDS are not legally allowed to supplant city services so you would be augmenting the service yes this would be additional provided by the parks department additional trash pickup and security is coordinated with the parks department.

I'm just wanting to make sure that you all have clearly communicated that to the parks department that they are not they still have an obligation to do their bare minimum that they are probably doing over there now. Cutting grass, picking up trash, whatever you all do is above and beyond whatever their minimal requirement is to maintain those park which of course is very minimal. So, I just want to make sure that you all are communicating that expectation to the parks department as well.

Absolutely. Yeah. We, like I said, we've we we know that sometimes when we have events that does affect the parks and so we want to be able to provide extra services during those events, especially with big things like the Olympics and other types of large scale events we want to have. We want to make sure that we are very much looking after some of these, you know, our neighbors and making sure that these things are looked at and taken care of ahead of time. And then, uh, can you refresh my memory? What is the revenue? Is it yearly sales tax or is it also, uh, any type of real estate tax? Sales and use tax, marketing,

sales and use tax. Okay. Uh so this is essentially revenue that's generated within the boundaries of the stadium exclusively that then be betterment of the area around it. Um the folks that are attending games are the ones that are paying that sales tax uh and likely are also the ones that are using the uh Alo Plaza East. I'll call it just for you know clarity purposes. But uh I think that that covers the uh majority of my questions here. I sorry I've this is the second time I'm now hearing this. I was on the Port Authority and got to listen to uh Mr. Conny's concerns earlier and uh the folks from uh the uh soccer stadium uh legal team were there as well. Um, I think that that concludes my questions, Madam Chair, but I appreciate you all being here. Uh, you all uh, you know, obviously add additional flavor and color uh, to our community and, uh, I have many friends that really enjoy going to the stadium and look forward to the many events and activities that will be hosted there as well. And you know, frankly, you know, thank you for picking up where the city isn't able to provide services and, you know, keeping those city parks clean. Uh, you know, obviously this is SIDS are taxpayer money as well. So, and should be used for the public benefit, whether that's infrastructure, you know, safety, security, or cleanliness. Um, so thank you uh for your presentation and time this morning.

You're welcome. Miss Wiser, thank you so much for being here and for the presentation uh several months ago now. You all you gave me a tour of the soccer stadium, especially around the the waste management side of that and I just enjoyed that greatly. It's so great to see what you all are doing with waste management within the soccer stadium. I thought I learned a lot and it was just really interesting thing. We hit zero waste last year, too. So, what's that? We hit zero waste last year. So, n 90% of all waste was diverted during all of our match days. us. It was our goal. So, we were very excited about it. So,

that's in it's incredible and I appreciate that and I know you all are a leader in that space. So, thank you for that work. Um, normally I am against uh single sight SIDS. I have issues with um you know a board of directors that's using tax money that is all uh a private company. Um but because this is amending the boundaries and not creating a new one, um I'm going to vote in favor of it today. So, thank you for your time and and for what you're doing in the community. Thank you, Alwoman Keys. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, no, no questions. Uh, but uh, thank you all for the presentation. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Vice Chair Sier Madame Clerk, is Vice Chair Sier still? Yes, she's still online. Oh, there she I don't have any questions, Madam Chair. All right. I don't have any questions either. Thank you uh for everything for the presentation today for responding to some of the other information and congratulations on that zero waste accomplishment. That's great. Absolutely. Uh Alderman Aldridge, you're welcome to close.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Madam Ch, madame u chairwoman and members of the HUDs committee. Um I think Miss Courtney laid it out very clearly. Again, this is just extending the current um SID boundaries that did exist. And you know, I just want to personally thank uh MLS and just how they've been a great partner to the city of St. Louis. You know, while we know that the city is always um scrap for resources and um you know, uh services that we can provide anytime uh we can have good partners like MLS that is, you know, going above and beyond. They have a lot of events. We're looking very forward to the Olympics coming uh here in the future and to be able to just help out and supplement uh some of the the needs if it's infrastructure cleanliness in the park is always uh extremely helpful and great and appreciate not only Courtney but all the uh members of the MLS soccer stadium that continue to be uh a great partner not just generating money uh here in the city which benefits all of us but also being a good partner uh to the city of St. Louis. I will be remissed if I do not go on record and just talk about even how intentional uh they have been with trying to uh and get younger uh folks involved into soccer who typically wouldn't know about soccer like the many pitches that they have created uh in the 14th award and throughout the city and throughout St. Louis County. So with that I would ask for a due pass uh recommendation and take a motion for due pass recommendation on board bill 168. Madam clerk, can you hear me as a co-sponsor to board bill 168?

So noted. Thank you. With that, I'll accept a motion for uh board bill 168. I move that we pass board bill 168 out of committee with the due pass recommendation. Second. It was moved by Alderman Con and seconded by Alman Aldridge that we pass board bill 168 out with the due pass recommendation. Madame clerk, please call the role. Alderman Con. I. Alderwoman Schwitzer. Hi. Alderwoman Keys. Vice Chair Sonier. I Alman Browning. Alman Aldridge. I.

Alderwoman Tier Clark Hubard. I alone Keys, could you repeat what your call what your vote was? A. Thank you. We have six eye votes. All right. Congratulations that you successfully passed out board bill 168 with a due pass recommendation. Do we have any resolutions for review? We have none. Are there any committee discussions? We have none. Is there any written testimony? We have none. Any announcements? I would like to excuse Alman Browning for necessary absence. I move second.

With that, I'll accept a motion to adjurnn. I move that we move. Second to adjourn. It was moved by Alderman Cohen, seconded by Alderwoman Schwicer with the call previous role that we adjourn. With no objection, we are adjourned. Everyone have a blessed day.