St. Louis advances demolition work around the historic Railway Exchange site

The St. Louis Development Corporation is soliciting bids to demolish the former Charlie Gitto’s building and the skywalk that connects the Railway Exchange garage to the Keiner West garage, advancing work around one of downtown’s prominent redevelopment sites.

According to SLDC, the demolition work was expected to begin in late July 2026 and be completed by Sept. 30, 2026. The agency’s project information identifies the site at 600 Locust Street.

Work targets structures around the site

The bid solicitation covers the former Charlie Gitto’s building and the connecting skywalk, not the Railway Exchange Building itself. SLDC has said it is still exploring funding to acquire the Railway Exchange Building and demolish the adjacent garage.

That means a future acquisition or demolition of the Railway Exchange Building has not been established. Nor does the available project information identify how many bids were received or name a contractor for the work.

The nearby garage has been marked for emergency demolition by the city’s Building Division, according to SLDC. The agency’s planned work therefore addresses structures on and around the block while longer-term decisions concerning the Railway Exchange Building remain unresolved.

Property values and prior purchase

Court-appointed commissioners valued the Railway Exchange property at $7.3 million. The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority paid $2.6 million for the garage and surface lot on city block 129, SLDC said.

The figures distinguish the court-appointed valuation of the Railway Exchange property from the LCRA’s purchase of the garage and surface lot. The available information does not say that the $7.3 million valuation was a final purchase price, nor does it establish funding for a broader redevelopment project.

Why the schedule matters

The work concerns a major downtown property and is tied to the city’s effort to address dangerous structures, remove blight and prepare the block for potential redevelopment. For people who use or move through the downtown area, the announced schedule sets an expected end date of Sept. 30 for the specified demolition work.

The next known step is the bid process and the planned demolition of the former restaurant building and skywalk. SLDC’s exploration of funding for the Railway Exchange Building and adjacent garage remains a separate, unresolved part of the site’s future.