$6 Million Sought
For Demolition of
Jamestown Mall

County Councilwoman Shalonda Webb has introduced legislation that would allocate $6 million to demolish the Jamestown Mall site that has been vacant for many years. “It is not only an eyesore, it has also become a danger to surrounding residents.,” Webb said in a letter to the St. Louis County Council. “There is no reasonable rationale for us to wait any longer in dealing with this property.”
Web said, in the letter, that for the last 16 months, she has engaged with representatives at every level about Jamestown Mall. “I have talked to our representatives in Washington DC, the Governor, and several local elected officials in Jefferson City.
“I’m thankful for Senator Brian Williams willingness to help us try to find resources at the state level,” Webb said. Williams has said Democratic approved American Rescue Plan Act funds could help pay for the demolition. He indicated about $10 million would be needed for the demolition work and some funding could come from the state and county matching funds.
Doug Moore, spokesman for County executive Sam Page, agreed that the mall needs to be torn down and future plans will be down the road. The 145-acre mall site closed in 2014 and it has been difficult to find an investor to redevelop the site.County officials have struggled to redevelop the site since the mall closed in 2014.
For all the work that has been done to find this funding, “nothing has fully materialized and ultimately this is St. Louis County’s responsibility,” Webb said. “After some research, it is my understanding that the county can use ARPA funding through revenue replacement to finally demolish Jamestown Mall. I plan on doing just that. We’ve waited long enough. Now is the time to practice what we preach and get this done,”
“I proudly represent is overwhelmingly full of people who work, pay their taxes, and take care of their property. Webb stated in the letter. “The people of my district don’t deserve what St. Louis County is giving them with Jamestown Mall. Therefore, we’re not waiting any longer”
The St. Louis port authority, which owns the site, reached a deal with a Kansas City developer who wanted to turn it into an industrial park. Those plans were dropped in June because of opposition by Webb and residents who said they preferred a community center or mixed retail site since the mall closed in 2014.
Despite some talk about residential housing whether single family, apartments or condos, no plans for housing have come forward.

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