Aldermen say city will explore zoning tools to repurpose vacant school buildings if closures occur

Aldermen on the Health and Human Development Committee said they will explore city-level tools to prepare for potential vacant school buildings if St. Louis Public Schools closes multiple sites under the Future Ready plan.

Committee members said they have begun preliminary conversations with the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) and preservation organizations about zoning legislation and redevelopment strategies that could support mixed-use or affordable housing conversions and historic preservation. "There is a lot more conversation, but I have approached SLDC as well as the school board about zoning legislation...so that as they make their decisions and land on a plan, if there's anything we can do as a city to make our zoning processes and our development processes, make those schools that will potentially be vacant a little bit better position to be redeveloped," a committee member said.

Members emphasized these conversations are early-stage and that any concrete policy or financial tools would require further development and interagency collaboration. They said the committee would lead outreach and coordination to reduce the risk of long-term neighborhood blight following school closures.