The entire site of the former Jamestown Mall is now under the control of St. Louis County. The county Port Authority has contracts for the final two sections of the property, which has become an eyesore since the mall closed in 2014.
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said the $1.7 million deal is an important step in converting the north county site into a "productive use property."
"We are open minded to many uses," Stenger said.
"And we are looking for public input to determine what that use is going to be."
A public open house is expected in the next few weeks to gather input from area residents. A date for that meeting has not been set.
Even though the deal for the last pieces of the old mall should be complete in December, the county is already moving ahead with environmental cleanup work at the site, which has fallen into disrepair.
"The types of things they are removing are things like asbestos and, quite literally, dead animals," Stenger said. Lead paint removal is also underway.
A request for redevelopment proposals will be issued once the public information gathering phase is complete. A specific timeline has not been determined.
Jamestown Mall was built in 1973. St. Louis Public Radio's Maria Altman reported this year that developers had anticipated construction of another 8,000 homes nearby. That never happened because geologists found sinkholes north of the property.
At least one retail expert also attributes the mall's demise to the average income level being lower than developers expected.
St. Louis County has set up a website where the public can monitor the work at the mall property. People may also send in questions or concerns to stlouisco.com/jamestown.
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