St. Louis’ Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority has finally had enough of the decaying concrete hulk next to the long-vacant Railway Exchange Building. On Tuesday, the board voted to clear the way for demolition of the crumbling parking garage and a neighboring vacant storefront that once housed Charlie Gitto’s. The measure passed 3-1, with one abstention, and authorizes staff to start soliciting bids for demolition and predevelopment work on the block.
As reported by St. Louis Public Radio, the vote clears the path to remove most structures on the block while preserving the historic Gill building. It also gives the St. Louis Development Corporation room to tweak the redevelopment plan, including tapping federal coronavirus relief funds if that is what it takes to take down a skybridge that ties parts of the complex together. City officials frame the move as part of a broader effort to package the entire block as a single redevelopment play and make the Railway Exchange more attractive to would-be developers.
What’s slated to come down
The parcels targeted include the multi-story concrete garage that city leaders routinely describe as an eyesore, along with the long-closed retail space that once hosted Charlie Gitto’s. St. Louis Magazine reported that the authority bought the lot and garage for about $2.6 million last year, and City of St. Louis property records list the Railway Exchange at 615 Olive St., anchoring the redevelopment footprint.
Eminent domain and the legal path
The city has been working to secure full control of the Railway Exchange through eminent domain, a process that has wound its way through appraisals and court filings in recent months. In a press release, the St. Louis Development Corporation said a judge cleared the way for condemnation of the property, while the St. Louis Business Journal reported that the city has pushed back on valuation rulings as the legal wrangling continues.
Officials' rationale and next steps
SLDC officials say the big-picture goal is to deliver a contiguous, mostly cleared block that can reel in a developer ready to take on the Railway Exchange. In the meantime, stabilization and security work will keep going while the courts sort out the remaining issues. Zachary Wilson, SLDC’s vice president for economic incentives, told St. Louis Public Radio that the remaining structures, including the parking garage and the former Charlie Gitto’s building, “could be demoed moving forward,” and Deputy Executive Director Rob Orr said the agency is on the block “four or five days a week” hunting for solutions.
What’s next for the block
The board has now authorized staff to advertise requests for bids for demolition and predevelopment services, with contractors to be selected after proposals come in and any needed environmental cleanup is addressed. The LCRA packet that set up this month’s vote spells out the request-for-bid details and the sequence for stabilization, bidding, and contractor selection, according to the City of St. Louis. SLDC says it intends to coordinate the work so that historically significant elements, including the Gill building’s facades, stay protected even as the wrecking crews close in around them.
