By K. Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Wednesday a St. Louis County Council Committee heard a request from St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay for the county to provide a $45 million loan to pay for infrastructure projects for a new Cardinals ballpark. If approved the loan would become the final piece of public investments in the stadium plan.
Though the project is mostly privately financed Fred Lindecke with the Coalition Against Public Funding for Stadiums says tax payers will ultimately pay a high price in 29 years when they take possession of a 29-year-old stadium that will then require a lot of maintenance.
Lindecke says if the St. Louis County Council does not bring the loan issue to a public vote his organization will start an initiative petition drive to put the measure on the ballot.