Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Demolition And Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Louis County to spend $11 million on derelict-property demolitions; announces $50 million training center support and expanded naloxone outreach
Summary
The County Executive told the St. Louis County Council the county has committed $11,000,000 transferred from ARPA to a demolition program targeting about 230 derelict properties over roughly three years, and announced $50,000,000 in state funding toward a regional law enforcement training center. He also highlighted naloxone distribution and an overdose dashboard amid reported declines in opioid deaths.
The County Executive told the St. Louis County Council on Sept. 2 that the county has committed $11,000,000, moved from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding into the general fund, for a demolition program to remove problem and derelict properties across the county.
"The County has committed to taking down problem properties," the County Executive said, noting the money was originally part of a $193,000,000 ARPA allocation to the county. He said officials have identified about 230 properties for demolition and estimate the effort could take up to three years. The executive said a website with property lists, FAQs and progress updates will go live later this month so the public can follow the effort and learn how to nominate properties for demolition.
The executive framed the program as both a neighborhood-stabilization and public-safety priority, saying derelict properties "diminish the value of homes around it," become sites for dumping and crime, and deter developers from investing in neighborhoods. He said the Department of Transportation and Public Works (TPW) will provide monthly progress reports to the council.
In the same report, the County Executive announced a multi-county agreement to pursue a new regional law enforcement training center, saying $50,000,000 was secured from the state earlier this year. He described an eight-member governing commission for the center with four representatives from St. Louis County, two from St. Charles County and one each from Jefferson and Franklin counties. He also named four appointees to the commission: Dudley McCarter, Michelle Schwerin, Roland Corbington and May Shebe Riordan.
The County Executive also described recent public-health outreach: distribution of naloxone (Narcan) pouches—some designed by students at Washington University in St. Louis—and the launch of a St. Louis County Overdose Dashboard. He said the county has seen a reduction in opioid-related deaths from 338 in 2021 to 161 in 2024, characterizing that as roughly a 50% decline and attributing the trend to local harm-reduction strategies and partner efforts.
The County Executive said the demolition initiative, training-center planning and public-health efforts will continue to be tracked and reported to the council. He closed by asking the council to support the administration's work to stabilize neighborhoods and improve public safety.
