The City of St. Louis is moving to acquire the long-vacant Railway Exchange Building downtown through eminent domain.
The city’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority filed a petition Thursday in circuit court after being unable to agree on a purchase price with Hudson Holdings, which purchased the building in 2017.
The city had announced plans to move forward with eminent domain in July if they could not come to an agreement.
The vacant building has become a safety issue, said Neal Richardson, president and CEO of the St. Louis Development Corporation, which staffs the authority.
“Their not responding allows us to be able to move forward and take action,” he said. “That’s not our responsibility. Our responsibility as the City of St. Louis, as the St. Louis Development Corporation, ensure that we are protecting the safety of our community.”
He said the building has been valued at $6 million but has liens against it well above that amount.
The longtime home of Famous-Barr’s flagship store has been vacant since Macy’s closed its downtown location in 2013. The city had it condemned last year.
Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a statement that Florida-based Hudson Holdings has neglected the building.
“If you’re an absentee property owner, neglect is no longer welcome in the City of St. Louis,” she said.
Eric Schmid contributed reporting to this story.
