ST. LOUIS — The Railway Exchange Building was once a jewel of downtown St. Louis.
Mark Hall, now tasked with managing security for the building has fond memories of holidays on that block, "I still remember Famous Barr when they used to decorate the windows at Christmastime."
The 21-story building spans from Locust Street to Olive Street and North 6th and 7th streets.
Hall is the Regional Director of Security for Citizen's Guard Security, "There was a lot of work to be done. There were a lot of openings. There were people that were coming down, people that were living in there. People that were going in there to scrap."
Citizen's Guard Security teams swept the building from the top floor to the bottom floor every other day for a few weeks in June. Now, there's a 24/7 security presence.
"We're trying to find funding for that," City of St. Louis Building Commissioner Ed Ware told 5 On Your Side. "We're hoping to recover all the funding through legal means."
The city does not own the Railway Exchange Building, but due to safety concerns, the abandoned building has become the city's problem.
"The city always has a responsibility to keep buildings safe if the owners are negligent in what they're doing," Ware said. "So we've stepped up, we're doing everything we can for the citizens in the area, the visitors in the area and trying to maintain a safe environment."
In a report shared with 5 On Your Side, Citizen's Guard Security says businesses surrounding the Railway Exchange have noticed a decrease in car break-ins since patrols started. The report also mentions assistance Citizen's Guard Security details have provided to adjacent businesses.
Now that the site is secure, Greater St. Louis, Inc. is working on a plan to redevelop the building.
"Real estate development is complex," said Senior Vice President and Chief Downtown Officer of Greater St. Louis, Inc., Kurt Weigle. "Some of it is legal. Some of it is financial. Some of it is what is the use going to be. That's what we are working through right now and what we've made really good progress on in the last 60 days."
Roughly 60 days ago, Mayor Tishaura Jones mobilized efforts to claim the building under eminent domain. The city is working with Greater St. Louis, Inc., to improve neglected buildings like the Railway Exchange Building and the Millennium Hotel.