The City of St. Louis has unveiled the next steps for the former medium security jail known as the Workhouse.
Mayor Tishaura Jones announced Wednesday that demolition of most of the structures at the site of the jail, located on Hall Street in the North Riverfront neighborhood, will begin Dec. 16. That first phase of development will also include the placement of a marker memorializing individuals who were detained at the facility, which has not housed anyone since June 2022.
“The unacceptable and inhumane conditions that many detainees at the Workhouse suffered cannot be forgotten,” Jones said in a statement. “One of the first things I did as mayor was close this jail. Our community deserves better than to see the facility continue to stand as it did, so I am pleased that we can now move forward with the demolition.”
The city is taking public input on the memorial’s design until Nov. 1.
A second phase of development at the site will be unveiled next year. Initial plans include an animal shelter and relocation of some of the city’s towing operations. Those uses align with a report by community stakeholders that suggested a variety of options like sheltering animals, prairie restoration, solar power and industry.
