Centene Corp., Clayton are trying again

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- A development project once thought lost over eminent domain squabbles may re-emerge after all.

Centene Corp. is working toward restoring plans for a $210 million expansion in downtown Clayton, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday.

Centene last month abandoned plans to move its existing headquarters from downtown Clayton to Ballpark Village beside Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis.

Centene wanted to expand in Clayton in 2005, but surrounding property owners successfully challenged -- all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court -- the city's attempt to take their land by eminent domain. But since then, the property at issue has been sold to a third party.

Both Mayor Linda Goldstein and Centene spokesman Ken Fields said they were optimistic a deal could be worked out. Fields said Centene is evaluating other potential options, locally, and outside of the St. Louis region, until details could be addressed. Centene's headquarters has been in Clayton since 1997.

Both the state and St. Louis County have joined Clayton to discuss incentives for Centene's world headquarters expansion, which would include retail, office and commercial space.

The governor's office said the expansion would provide at least 836 additional jobs paying an average salary of $74,700.

The project attracted high-profile partners: U.S. Equities Realty of Chicago; Clayco Realty Group; and internationally known architect Gyo Obata, of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.

The project ran into trouble when the city declared the area blighted and invoked eminent domain. The state Supreme Court sided with owners last year, but the properties have since sold to Brookview Acquisition Corp., presumably making the issue moot.

The state's incentive proposal, announced Thursday, includes $19.1 million in Quality Jobs tax credits, a sales tax exemption on personal property and $8 million in BUILD funding, subject to approval by the Missouri Development Finance Board.

This month, another Clayton-based company, Brown Shoe, said it wants to build a $568 million mixed-use corporate headquarters campus and remain in Clayton.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com