ST. LOUIS – The Millennium Hotel is about to get new owners as a local non-profit is under contract to buy the iconic facility.
The Gateway Arch Park Foundation is making it official that it is under contract to buy the property that has sat vacant off South 4th Street since 2014. The group is set to hold a news conference Friday morning to reveal more details about its plans for the massive structure.
The Millennium Hotel has been vacant for more than a decade. It originally opened in 1969 and, at one point, was the largest hotel in St. Louis.
The hotel had 780 rooms, 19 suites, and was known for its revolving restaurant at the top of the tall 28-story tower. However, the property eventually fell into disrepair and finally closed in January of 2014.
Earlier this year, Mayor Tishaura Jones issued a call for bold action regarding the Millennium’s future. Now the Gateway Arch Park Foundation has stepped up to try and breathe new life into the Millennium.
The foundation will work with the St. Louis Development Corporation, the city of St. Louis, and Greater St. Louis Inc. on a redevelopment plan for the massive property. The Gateway Arch Park Foundation has already helped to transform the Gateway Arch National Park along with the Riverfront and Keiner Plaza.
In a release, the foundation calls the Millennium a crucial part of downtown St. Louis and says the redevelopment will build on the current momentum in the downtown area. The executive director of the foundation, Ryan McClure, issued a statement on the future of the building.
“The foundation sees tremendous potential in revitalizing the Millennium site,” McClure said. “This project perfectly aligns with our mission to better connect Gateway Arch National Park and its surroundings to the rest of downtown and nurture an experience that is vibrant, accessible, and memorable for both residents and our many visitors from around the world.”
We could also learn about the future of the Railway Exchange Building. Greater St. Louis Inc. and the St. Louis Development Corporation released a report saying the city offered to buy the building from its owners, Hudson Holdings in Florida.
Friday is the deadline for the company to accept the offer, or the city says it will use eminent domain to take control. The Railway Exchange was the longtime home to Famous-Barr and then Macy’s. it’s been empty for years. Since then it’s been plagued with break-ins and theft.
