ST. LOUIS (AP) — Demolition will begin soon on Esthen Exchangethe St. Louis jail known as the City Workhouse, which has been the source of criticism for decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones said.

A news release from the mayor’s office on Wednesday said demolition begins Dec. 16. Further steps will be announced in early 2025, but plans are underway for an animal shelter at the site, and perhaps additional space to store towed vehicles. Conner Kerrigan, a spokesperson for Jones, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that tiny homes for the homeless also could be located there.

The workhouse, built in the 1960s, has been the subject of complaints for years. A 2017 lawsuit filed on behalf of detainees cited infestations of rats and rodents, black mold, and intolerable heat in the summer and cold in the winter.

Jones has long promised to close the workhouse. All of its detainees were moved to the downtown City Justice Center in 2022.