ST. LOUIS—Redevelopment authorities have followed through on a threat to use eminent domain to take control of the Railway Exchange building and related parcels downtown after the city of St. Louis and the property owners failed to reach a sale agreement.

On Friday, the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) of the city of St. Louis announced that it had filed a petition in the 22nd circuit court to acquire the property located in the “Locust St./North 6th St./Pine St./North 7th Street Redevelopment area.”

The Railway Exchange Building, owned by Hudson Holdings, has been vacant since 2014. It was condemned last year. 

 “If you’re an absentee property owner, neglect is no longer welcome in the City of St. Louis,” Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a news release. “I’m grateful to the LCRA and SLDC for their tireless work to help us hold absentee landlords accountable through eminent domain.”

The LCRA declared the property as blighted in late June and notified ownership that it planned to take the next step with eminent domain. 

“Exercising Eminent Domain will allow us to take possession of these problem properties that have been blighting the core of our central business district in Downtown for far too long. Bringing Railway Exchange under local control will be a huge step in ensuring future redevelopment plans align with the community’s best interests,” said St. Louis Development Corporation President and CEO Neal Richardson.

In late September, Richardson said the building and garage has been appraised for just under $6 million and the liens on the property are larger than that evaluation. The court filing describes the city’s prior offer as no lower than what was reflected in an appraisal from a state or city certified appraiser.

The move to take the properties by eminent domain follows the successful acquisition of the former Millennium Hotel by the Gateway Arch Foundation, which was announced last month. That property, along the downtown skyline next to the Arch, has also been vacant since 2014. Formal plans for that property have not been announced.