'Tiny homes' at former jail? St. Louis aldermen oppose them

ST. LOUIS — The Board of Aldermen on Friday endorsed a city committee's recommendations on what to do with the old City Workhouse site, including opposing the construction there of so-called tiny homes for homeless people. The board's 10-5 vote for the nonbinding resolution came just two days after Mayor Tishaura O.

Jones announced plans to begin demolishing much of the old prison facility on Dec. 16. A Jones spokesman said tiny homes remain under consideration for the site, along with an animal shelter and more space for towed vehicles.



The sponsor of Friday's resolution, Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, of downtown, said his goal wasn't to oppose Jones but to commit the board to ensuring that many of the committee's recommendations are followed. "I think the mayor is starting the process (toward demolition)," he said. "We'll have to continue to see what the process looks like.

..with the input of the board, the community and also the (Jones) administration.

" The Re-Envisioning the Workhouse Committee was appointed by Jones last spring. At the forefront were representatives of organizations like ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis that campaigned for years to close the workhouse because of alleged inhumane conditions.

Jones also supported the closure, which she carried out in 2022. The committee last January concluded that the site's location in an industrial area on the city's north riverfront made only a few uses tenable, such as an animal shelter, solar energy farm or industrial purposes. The committee also called for removal of workhouse buildings except for those sections needed for its recommended on-site uses.

During aldermanic debate Friday, Alderman Bret Narayan of Dogtown, said while he supported the resolution, he also believed it would be irresponsible to not consider using the site to shelter homeless people in emergencies. This winter, he said, "we're going to be scrambling to find emergency shelter to keep people from freezing to death." Some opponents of the resolution, such as Alderwoman Sharon Tyus of Kingsway East, reiterated their opposition to closing the workhouse and said it resulted in overcrowding and poor conditions at the main jail downtown.

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