Demolition of The Workhouse to begin before the end of the year

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Demolition of the former Medium Security Institution, known as The Workhouse, will begin before the end of the year.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones announced Wednesday that demolition of most buildings at The Workhouse will begin by December 16. The majority of the structures, including guard towers and former women’s housing facilities, will be included in the demolition. The fence will remain to secure the ground.

“The unacceptable and inhumane conditions that many detainees at the Workhouse suffered cannot be forgotten,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “One of the first things I did as Mayor was close this jail. Our community deserves better than to see the facility continue to stand as it did, so I am pleased that we can now move forward with the demolition.”

Mayor Jones ordered the facility to be closed shortly after she took office in 2021. The last detainee left The Workhouse in May 2022.

“The question we should be talking about right now is the conditions in the Justice Center,” said Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who is also running against Jones for mayor next year.

Alderwoman Spencer and Alderwoman Pam Boyd both mentioned the conditions at the City Justice Center. That includes 12 deaths in the last three years and four inmates stabbed in July, along with complaints about lack of mobility inside the jail.

“You wonder why they had the breakouts and had the riots, it’s because people have been closed in so long,” said Boyd.

The CJC keeps adding inmates, with nearly 100 more inmates in the last calendar year, going from 677 to 775.

“I applaud Gabe Gore because he’s doing his job, honestly probably doing it too well,” said Boyd.

Boyd wishes they would instead use the Workhouse as a second jail, but instead, the city will demolish it, which a spokesperson says will cost at least $2.5 million. Comparatively, it cost the city $80,000 per year to maintain the building.

“Where’s the money going to come from?” said Boyd, who also said she was not given a heads up, despite The Workhouse sitting in her ward.

The city spent millions of dollars on repairs after pipe bursts last year.

They also made repairs for the same reason this year. We asked a spokesperson if the recent fixes were because more pipes broke, and we’ve yet to hear back.

The City of St. Louis asked for the public’s input to decide the future of The Workhouse site in 2023. The demolition of the facility matches the recommendations, according to the City of St. Louis. The Jones administration said they are also pursuing a recommendation to create a memory marker.

“As we take these steps forward, we must include the community where we can. That is why I’m asking for anyone who feels moved to do so to submit concepts, drawings, designs, poetry, or written descriptions for a memorial for those who suffered at the Workhouse,” said Mayor Jones.

Click here to learn more about the Re-envisioning of The Workhouse or to provide feedback.