Missouri audit finds $67M shortfall for Dome at America’s Center upkeep

ST. LOUIS - A new report from the Missouri Auditor's Office says the Dome at America's Center faces a $67 million shortfall for future maintenance needs, raising concerns about the long-term future of the facility.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released the audit report on Wednesday, citing inadequate funding for maintenance and weaknesses in financial oversight.

A recent assessment for the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA), which operates the Dome, estimates $155 million in repairs will be needed over the next decades for proper upkeep. According to the auditor's office, as of December 31, 2024, the cash balance of the RSA was around $89 million, including $70 million in NFL Rams settlement funds the RSA received in 2023.

For three decades, the RSA relied on $4 million in semiannual "preservation payments from the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the state of Missouri to fund maintenance and operating expenses for the Dome. However, these payments ended as of February 1, 2024, leaving the Dome without a dedicated funding stream.

According to the audit, the RSA has not since pursued additional funding from state or local governments to replace the expired preservation payments. The audit also found that event-related revenues, such as hotel lodging taxes and other visitor-generated taxes, have not contributed to the Dome's upkeep.

The audit also pointed to weaknesses in planning and oversight of the failed 2015 riverfront stadium project in an effort to keep the Rams in St. Louis. It found that the RSA spent $19.4 million on the project and paid a total of 44 contracted vendors. Of 30 invoices tested, according to the auditor's office, 20 percent lacked documentation on the services providing, raising concerns on the project's oversight.

"A massive amount of state, county, and city taxpayer funds have been invested in the Dome at America's Center and now the facility faces a perilous future," said Fitzpatrick on the audit. "It's clear the RSA needed a stronger vision for how to manage and maintain the Dome following the departure of the Rams from St. Louis, and it's also obvious the commission should have been more accountable with taxpayer dollars when it oversaw the failed effort to keep the Rams from leaving."

The auditor's recommendations include creating new recurring revenue sources for the Dome, long-term maintenance planning, strengthening the RSA's financial controls and procurement policies and requesting St. Louis County to establish a process for prioritizing the use of Rams settlement funds.

"While there have been many missteps in years past, I commend the current commission for taking the challenges they are facing seriously and beginning work towards a plan to right the ship as our audit recommends," said Fitzpatrick.