Mayor Spencer addresses Workhouse jail demolition

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A controversial St. Louis jail is now leveled.

Former Mayor Tishaura Jones closed St. Louis’ medium security jail, also known as the Workhouse, in 2022. First Alert 4 Investigates has been following its fate ever since, as the city has continued investing millions into it.

As one of her last acts in office, Jones’ administration started tearing it down. Now, new mayor Cara Spencer says there’s clearly no way to reverse that. But she says she’s going to take a close look at that emergency demolition contract that’s costing taxpayers more than $2 million.

She tells First Alert 4 she will also assess whether there are any environmental concerns for the site.

The previous administration had suggested a memorial at the site. We don’t yet know what the Spencer administration would do with the now-razed property.