Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is heralding the decision of several statewide officials to move their St. Louis offices into the Old Post Office downtown.
During a press conference on Thursday, Kehoe said that state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick and state Treasurer Vivek Malek were joining his staff in the historic structure at 815 Olive St. That comes after the state sold the Wainwright Building, a building close to Busch Stadium that was the home base for state government for decades.
After the sale of the Wainwright Building, the state purchased a property in Chesterfield to house state employees.
Kehoe said the fact that numerous officials are retaining a place in downtown St. Louis should send a broader message to the region.
“The other state officeholders who are here to make a statement to say downtown is real,” said Kehoe who grew up in St. Louis. “It's alive. We're going to keep it safe. And we want the thriving downtown that I knew as a kid when I used to hitchhike to Busch Stadium to go to the Cardinals games.”
Fitzpatrick said having a space in downtown St. Louis made sense, especially since his office is auditing St. Louis Public Schools, the city’s Building Division and the St. Louis Development Corporation.
“I'm committed to making sure that we're doing our part to help the city grow and thrive and to help the region overall continue to be the economic engine for the state of Missouri,” Fitzpatrick said.
Kehoe staffers already moved into a space in the Old Post Office, with the moves by Fitzpatrick and Malek happening in the coming weeks and months. Missouri’s attorney general, secretary of state, the Missouri Arts Council and the Missouri Court of Appeals already had space in the facility.
