ST. LOUIS – Big changes are coming to two buildings in downtown St. Louis that have each stood vacant for more than a decade.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Thursday that at the Mayor’s request, the St. Louis Development Corporation and Greater St. Louis, Inc. have submitted a report on their plan for “bold action” to deal with major vacant properties in downtown St. Louis.
People who live and work downtown say the highlights are substantial: both the Millennium Hotel along the St. Louis riverfront and the Railway Exchange building will soon be taken over by new ownership.
Each building has sat empty for the past decade.
For the Millennium Hotel, there appears to be a degree of finality: a local buyer has apparently agreed to purchase the property just south of the arch grounds. The details around that purchase are expected to be made public soon.
There was another significant revelation in the report related to the Railway Exchange building: the longtime home of the old Famous-Barr.
The City of St. Louis has made an offer to buy the building, which has been a hotspot for vandalism and crime. According to the report, the city has given the building’s ownership until Sept. 20 to accept the offer or face eminent domain.
People who live and work downtown say they are thrilled to hear the news. Tom Neill works downtown, and he’s especially relieved to hear the news about the Millennium Hotel.
“Excited hopefully just to get somebody in there. I mean, anything for downtown would be great. The more people that are down here, the better it’s going to be,” he said.
Pat Hagerty also works downtown. He thinks the changes will help pump life back into the area, especially if they’re turned into residential spaces and restaurants.
“That’s what’s great about it, you’ve got One Cardinal Way. You go all the way up to the new soccer park. Now, we can connect up to the riverfront a little bit more, and add in the Railway Exchange,” Hagerty said. “I mean, the more density you can get here, the better.”
The Railway Exchange was the longtime home of the old Famous-Barr, and later home to Macy’s. In July, the city announced it had hired a private security firm to secure the building after it was regularly the subject of break-ins, theft and vandalism. Now, the city will be taking it over.
People downtown say that, coupled with a local buyer agreeing to purchase the Millennium, it signifies better times ahead for vacant buildings.
“It’s iconic. People in St. Louis know what it is,” Neill said. “But they are eyesores as they sit there vacant, and everybody knows it. So, it would be great to fill them with something.”
“It’s a good start,” Hagerty added.
