ST. LOUIS — Visit the 7500 block of Virginia Ave. in south St. Louis and the signs of change are nearly impossible to miss.
"You have a bunch of people down here rehabbing these houses," said Rick Eckert.
Eckert is currently redeveloping a two-story home that was originally built in the 1800's. He's one of a few people on the block who are breathing new life into an old neighborhood.
But right across the street from all his hard work is a problem that could end up costing Eckert thousands of dollars.
"I might have to sell it for less than what it's worth," Eckert said.
It's all because of an abandoned house that's earned a negative reputation over the last 20 years.
"I think it's ridiculous. There's no point for it. I feel bad for the people who live on either side," said Christy Powell.
Powell contacted the 5 On Your Side I-TEAM about the situation after seeing recent coverage of problem properties all over St. Louis.
She said in the two decades she's called the Patch neighborhood home, the condition of this house has never improved and only attracted the wrong crowd.
"We have squatters that come up here and drug addicts," she said.
The owner, who didn't want to appear on camera with the I-TEAM, said he bought the home in the mid 1990's originally hoping to fix it up.
City records show he got a construction permit in 1996 for work that was estimated to cost $5,000 at the time.
Neighbors say that project included adding a completely new second story to the single story brick home.
But that project was never completed. And in fact, the home's condition has gradually deteriorated over time.
The owner said he ran into financial and logistical issues on this property and a number of other city properties he bought.
Then he said he got completely "overwhelmed and underwater" with a number of things going on his personal life.
All the while, the house on Virginia just sat. Though, he did say he tries to keep up with cutting the grass.
But other complaints from the public rolled in over the years. Nearly 80 in all were filed with the city for blight, maintenance and safety-related issues.
"I call every year. Two or three times at least for the grass," Powell said.
It's gotten so bad the city has condemned the house on three separate occasions: in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
But Powell and others question why it's taken so long to actually be torn down.
"I would live for it to go," Powell said.
St. Louis Building Commissioner Frank Oswald told the I-TEAM this property has been on the city's radar for years.
He said it probably should've been torn down sooner, but that his demolition budget was only a few hundred thousand dollars at the time.
Now, it's up to four or five million dollars and he has more flexibility with what the city can tear down.
It also helps, Oswald said, that the owner in the last few years stopped paying property taxes.
"I don't know why he keeps it. Why pay taxes on a house for 20 years and it just sits there. Doesn't make sense," Eckert said.
Oswald said demolition could be imminent after one more consultation with neighbors and the alderwoman for the ward.
The owner said he still hopes to find a buyer for the house.
He said he's next set to appear in court in July for a number of code violations related to the property.