ST. LOUIS — The group tasked with coming up with a plan for two high-profile vacant buildings in downtown St. Louis said there has been progress on both.
In a report delivered to Mayor Tishaura Jones, Greater St. Louis Inc. and the St. Louis Development Corporation announced a pending deal for a "local entity" to purchase the Millennium Hotel. The release also said the city sent an offer letter to the owners of the Railway Exchange Building offering to buy the property.
“An offer has been made to the current owner of it for an outright sale," Kurt Weigle of Greater St. Louis Inc. said. "That would be great. If that doesn’t happen the city is ready to take the next step moving forward on eminent domain.”
People familiar with the matter told the St. Louis Business Journal that the entity eyeing Millennium is the nonprofit Gateway Arch Park Foundation, the conservancy for the nearby Arch grounds and surrounding areas. Officials with the foundation, led by Executive Director Ryan McClure, didn't respond to the Business Journal's requests for comment.
In May, Mayor Jones called on the groups to come up with a plan for the long-vacant properties that have been dangerous eyesores. In Thursday's report, the organizations said they wanted to do more than just come up with ideas.
“If we develop something that is beautiful, that is inspiring, and really gets our emotions going and creates a great use for downtown then I think we will have hit our mark," Weigle said.
St. Louis Development Corporation is working on a redevelopment plan for the property in an effort to speed up the process for a buyer. Their current plan would allow for the new owners to demolish the building, but does not require it.
The 28-story Millennium Hotel, located at 200 South 4th St., was once a glamorous place filled with weddings and high-profile events like the Baseball Writers' Dinner, but now, it’s full of mold and water damage since its closure in 2014.
The city had previously considered authorizing eminent domain on the property, but put the brakes on that plan. It was put up for sale in a 'closed-bid process' in April.
The report also said the city sent an offer letter to the owners of the Railway Exchange building on Aug. 20 through the city's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. The release said the owners have until Sept. 20 to consider the offer for the building and the block immediately to its south. If they do not accept the offer, the city plans to file a petition through the eminent domain process to take possession of the building.
The 21-story building spans from Locust Street to Olive Street and North 6th and 7th streets. The city hired a private firm to take over security at the building earlier this year due to safety concerns.
If the city is able to take control of the property, the report said the first steps taken should be the demolition of the condemned parking garage on Block 129. The report also calls for a revitalization of the building that takes into consideration it's history and status on the National Register of Historic Places.
“While there is still more work to be done, having local ownership engaged in the future of Millennium Hotel and eventual City-control of Railway Exchange allows us to proactively find long-term development partners to advance community driven plans that will remove blight and positively impact the vibrancy in Downtown St. Louis,” SLDC’s President & CEO, Neal Richardson said in a press release.
“I think that sort of interplay between what’s happening on the sidewalk and what’s happening in the building is really important on that site," Weigle said. "I think there are a number of things that could happen on the upper floors.”