ST. LOUIS – Sandwiched right between the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium, the Millennium Hotel is considered one of the most valuable vacant properties in downtown St. Louis. Now, we have a better idea of what might happen to it.
The 4-acre plot, which features the 28-story, 780-room hotel, has sat vacant since it closed in 2014. The hotel, known for its spinning rooftop, opened in 1968.
Last month, the Gateway Arch Park Foundation agreed to buy the property. According to its website, the foundation is a non-profit organization and the official philanthropic partner of Gateway Arch National Park and its surrounding areas in downtown St. Louis.
The city’s planning commission voted unanimously to approve a redevelopment plan for the site Wednesday evening. The commission’s monthly meeting was held at the Abrams Building on Market Street.
The plan proposes a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly property, that seamlessly connects the area to the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis. Better lighting, outdoor seating, bicycle racks, and public art displays were also mentioned. Several speakers behind the plan noted a need for a vibrant property that attracts locals and visitors alike to downtown St. Louis and a property that “compliments the Arch but does not compete with the Arch.”
Demolition of the hotel was also included as an option. At least one commissioner pushed-back on the potential for those involved to rush to that decision in the future.
“It has been a feature of our skyline for quite a while, so I think it does warrant careful review,” Commissioner Jake Benton said. “You can’t get more valuable real estate in St. Louis.”
It’s important to note that any demolitions must be reviewed by the City of St. Louis before they can take place.
Another commissioner, Paul Hubbman, called the plan “aspirational and unspecific.”
He also argued any plan to preserve the hotel would seemingly defy the foundation’s goal of revitalizing that area of the riverfront.
“We’re looking at a building that, one could argue, looks pretty dated,” Hubbman said.
Ultimately, the commission expressed gratitude for the foundation stepping up to take-on a property and passed the plan unanimously.
The St. Louis Development Corporation, the independent economic development agency serving the City of St. Louis, is also backing the plan and spoke in favor of it.
The Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s Executive Director, Ryan McClure, repeatedly thanked the city and the partnerships that helped them put this plan together. McClure said the foundation has been working toward this goal for three years now behind the scenes. He also emphasized the importance of having demolition as an option, both for developers and for the foundation itself.
“All options need to be on the table for this site,” McClure said.
The foundation isn’t taking on this property to make a profit but instead views it as a mission-based, civic endeavor, McClure noted. He said all thanks to their donors, they are able to put their resources toward their mission of improving the area in and around the arch grounds.
“We are doing this because we care about St. Louis, we care about downtown. We care about the arch, which represents our city to the entire world,” he said.
There’s no timeline for the project, but it is expected the entire process from beginning to end could take a matter of years. The foundation is already working with contractors to assess the property.
Regardless of the timeline, McClure said they view this project as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve downtown.
“The important thing is that we are moving in the right direction, and in a direction that hasn’t happened for the last ten years here,” he said.
