51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� 51黑料 officials will seek proposals to redevelop the graffiti-covered parking garage and lot that long served downtown鈥檚 Railway Exchange Building.

51黑料 Development Corp., the city鈥檚 economic development agency, plans to buy the garage and lot at 601 Olive Street for about $2.6 million, officials said Friday at a press conference. The city will use American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The deal would be separate from the Railway Exchange Building as the eminent domain lawsuit makes it way through the courts.

Officials said the agency will issue a request for proposals in the next 60 days.

They鈥檙e open to developers鈥� ideas for the site 鈥� which does not include the former Charlie Gitto鈥檚 restaurant and The Gill Building that adjoin the garage 鈥� but say they want to see the garage demolished because it poses a public safety risk.

鈥淒owntown should show all of what 51黑料 has to offer,鈥� Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see this parking garage come down.鈥�

51黑料 officials filed a lawsuit last fall to take ownership of the Railway Exchange and its nearby garage through eminent domain after losing patience with its Florida-based absentee owner that had let security lax, causing break-ins, property destruction and other criminal behavior. Eminent domain gives governments the right to take private property for public use or to serve public good.

But officials faced a setback when a court-appointed panel said the Railway Exchange site was worth more than what the city wanted to pay. The city is appealing that decision for the building.

Neal Richardson, who heads SLDC, said he doesn鈥檛 believe the city鈥檚 offer for the garage and lot will affect those proceedings.

鈥淲e are removing blight,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are taking bold action to address that.鈥�

The city plans to use some of the ARPA funds it set aside for assembling land for development for the garage and lot. Officials floated a board bill to allocate $11 million of the Rams relocation settlement to the Railway Exchange site, though that stalled amid aldermanic in-fighting last session. Richardson said Friday that there鈥檚 no clear funding path right now for the building.

Revitalizing the a 21-story historic building in the heart of downtown鈥檚 central business district is a top priority for officials. It was once the home of the flagship Famous-Barr department store, renowned for its shopping and quaint second-floor restaurant and famous French onion soup.

But its last tenant, Macy鈥檚, left around 2014, and the building has been vacant since. Proposed redevelopment efforts failed.

Preservationists say the building is an architectural jewel, with its terra cotta and brick adornments and marble paneling. It鈥檚 one of four major vacant buildings, including the former AT&T tower, the Chemical Building and the Millennium Hotel, that city officials say are crucial to revitalizing downtown.

Developers have proposed plans for the AT&T tower and Millennium Hotel, and both Jones and Richardson say they want to capitalize on that momentum by moving forward with part of the Railway site.

鈥淭his means downtown is open for business and under construction,鈥� Jones said.

By targeting the garage and lot, officials will be taking a smaller, but more manageable bite, of the Railway debacle that could entice developers who would otherwise avoid taking on such a large project if the building were in play.

In addition to the city, Concrete Strategies also is appealing the court鈥檚 price for the site. Concrete Strategies, which has a lien on the property, is an arm of construction giant Clayco, which was founded by Bob Clark. Clark is a major donor to Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Jones鈥� challenger in the mayor鈥檚 race.

An attorney for Concrete Strategies did not respond to a request for comment Friday.