The St. Louis County Port Authority filed a condemnation action last week in St. Louis County Circuit Court to purchase the final properties at the site of the old Jamestown Mall.

The Port Authority currently has agreements with four of the five original owners of the Jamestown Mall properties, according to a county news release. State law authorizes the Port Authority to conduct such purchases.

Negotiations with the current property owners will continue as legal proceedings move forward, the release stated.

The Port Authority has requested that the court establish a panel comprised of county residents who will make a preliminary determination as to the monetary value of the properties in question.

“The Port Authority’s legal action is a necessary step in order to eliminate and remediate the dangerous conditions existing on the Jamestown property which are a hazard to public health and safety,” County Executive Steve Stenger stated the news release.

The Port Authority is developing a plan to safely remove hazardous materials from the Jamestown properties it currently owns. This process will be extended to any additional buildings the Port Authority acquires through legal action.