BRIDGETON, Mo. — St. Louis Lambert International Airport is asking for proposals to redevelop the old Carrollton neighborhood in Bridgeton.
Behind gates, large trees and overgrown grass lies the remains of what was once a bustling Bridgeton neighborhood.
Former resident Mary Kendall said she loved growing up there.
“My mom and dad were original builders over on DuPage," she said. "We loved our area. I mean, I grew up there as a kid. I moved my kids back here."
It's right next to St. Louis Lambert International Airport and the runway. Kendall said she'd hear a plane almost every 10 minutes.
Desy Schoenewies also grew up there and watched her mom struggle with the buyout in 2006.
“She was living amongst vacant houses and vacant lots, and it went from being a pretty safe neighborhood to really feeling very unsafe and insecure,” Schoenewies said.
And now, it's gotten worse. The area is a dumping ground, full of trash. In most of the area, you can't even see from the road.
“When people fly into St Louis, this is their introduction. I've been on flights before where people look down and went, 'Oh man, that place is creepy,' you know, and I'm sitting here thinking to myself, 'I used to live there,'” Schoenewies said.
Another problem: It's contaminated by radioactive waste and other materials because its right next to West Lake Landfill, hurting many of the former residents.
“We're over a thousand people who have gotten cancer or died of cancer. That's too many,” Kendall said.
Now, the airport wants to lease out plots of the neighborhood for commercial redevelopment like office space, cargo handling or manufacturing.
Kendall said in its current state, more people might get sick.
“Nothing should be done on this area until Westlake is cleaned up. They're going to be disturbing the soil during the cleanup,” Kendall said.
Schoenewies said she'd really like to see change and has been writing a book documenting the neighborhood's history.
“Any kind of development at this point is better than just sort of leaving things in the decay that it's in,” Schoenewies said.
The airport sent this statement to 5 On Your Side, “The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, Section 163, limited the FAA’s authority to regulate the use of non-aeronautical property in certain cases, increasing the latitude for development. West Carrollton falls into this category. Since commercial airports, such as STL, have an obligation to be financially self-sustaining, development of airport-owned properties is encouraged. We have also received inquiries regarding this specific parcel and feel that now is the right time to address the property’s potential. STL anticipates that anyone redeveloping the West Carrollton parcel would seek a potential project that works in conjunction with the Bridgeton property. The RFP is written with instructions on who to contact in Bridgeton for further details. STL hopes that this project helps the tax base of Bridgeton and creates good local jobs for the immediate area.”
The airport will be accepting proposals until the end of January.
If you're a former resident of Carollton with health issues, you can find more information here.