UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — The cleanup of a stinky mess in University City is expected to wrap up on Wednesday.
For weeks now, lingering smells and flies have plagued the former Seafood City Supermarket on Olive Boulevard.
University City Director of Planning and Development John Wagner told 5 On Your Side crews from Bio-One St. Louis will finish clearing out tons of rotting seafood and produce from inside Seafood City on Wednesday.
The supermarket was ordered to close in late March after the St. Louis County Health Department said products were improperly stored and it operated without a health permit.
The cleanup began about a month ago after neighbors started complaining about a foul odor and infestation of flies.
Erin Mcelvaine lives nearby and said she first noticed the smell when she was at the bus stop.
"I was just standing there and then I smelled something. I was like what the heck is that smell? What the heck is that? I kept looking around me and looking on the floor, the ground and stuff. I thought it was a dead body. I was about to call the cops," she said.
Some neighbors told 5 On Your Side they couldn't even eat because gnats were all over their fridge. They also said gnats were in the bathroom, and many said the fruit flies lasted for a whole month.
Mcelvaine doesn't understand how anyone could leave that kind of foul smell.
"What the heck is wrong with you? Did your parents never teach you common sense on how to clean up after yourself before you leave somewhere?" she said.
That's why many, including Mcelvaine, are ready for the stench to be gone.
"I'll be glad to never smell that ever again because that is nasty," she said.
Officials blocked off the parking lot around the former market because they said people were trying to steal food products from the dumpsters.
The building's owner is footing the cleanup bill, according to University City officials.
Not only did this bring a terrible stench to the area, but it also brewed a legal battle between the property manager and the business owner.
The building's owner, Six Fortune LLC, is suing the owner of Seafood City for more than $300,000 in back rent.
Seafood City's attorney said the legal fight started even before then, back in December of 2022.
The trial date is Monday, Oct. 23.