St. Louis city leaders are seeking residents, business owners, schools and organizations in certain tornado-impacted neighborhoods to help rebuild and define what progress looks like for their areas.
“Reimagining North St. Louis, especially after the devastating tornado, must be done in real partnership with North City residents,” St. Louis Mayor Spencer said Wednesday in a statement. “I stand by that commitment and am excited to embark on this effort with the community.”
The EF3 tornado on May 16 tore a path over 20 miles long through parts of the St. Louis region, damaging more than 10,000 buildings. Five people were killed in the storm and hundreds were displaced from their homes.
Residents can apply to join five different community-led planning committees, which are being launched through the PlanSTL Neighborhood Planning Program.
The deadline to apply is Oct. 13.
The neighborhood planning committees include:
• Plan Area 4: West Cluster – Wells-Goodfellow, Hamilton Heights, Kingsway West
• Plan Area 4: Central Cluster – O’Fallon and Penrose
• Plan Area 4: East Cluster – College Hill and Fairground Neighborhood
• Plan Area 5: Academy, Fountain Park, and Lewis Place
• Plan Area 6: Mark Twain I-70 Industrial
City leaders said committee members will help shape the vision and priorities for their area, serve as community ambassadors during the planning process, help ensure the plan reflects the voices of all residents, and lay the foundation for lasting change during implementation.
Officials say the teams will work through workshops and pop-up events during planning, and that final plans will be formally adopted by the city’s Planning Commission. Local elected officials will also be a part of the committees with those selected as honorary committee members.
The planning process will continue into late 2026, but officials say early insights will be used to create plans for immediate investments.
If not selected for a committee, city leaders said there will be other opportunities to get involved through community events, ambassador programs, newsletters and public forums.
The city is also hosting the following info sessions:
• Sept. 23 from 6-7 p.m.https://stlouis-mo-gov.zoom.us/j/81966420177
• Sept. 29 from 12-1 p.m.https://stlouis-mo-gov.zoom.us/j/87322190643
• Sept. 30 from 4-6 p.m.https://stlouis-mo-gov.zoom.us/j/87868182771
Those interested are encouraged to email pda_planning@stlouis-mo.gov or call 314-657-3852 for more information.
