When you ride through certain parts of North St. Louis and wonder why block after block looks abandoned, this is why. Developer Paul McKee’s failed Northside Regeneration project tied up over 89 blocks of land, much of it sitting untouched for years. Now, city officials say McKee tried to demand $116 million for that land he left crumbling.
The St. Louis Development Corporation called the price “so extreme” that negotiations weren’t even possible. So now the city is moving forward with eminent domain and has already started seizing some of the properties back.
Meanwhile, our neighborhoods have suffered generations of families displaced, buildings deteriorating, and entire communities put on pause while developers hoarded land they never truly invested in.
This isn’t just about one developer. It’s about how long our neighborhoods are expected to wait while outside investors play monopoly with our future.
The city is finally stepping in. But the damage has been done.
