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ST. LOUIS — The vacant AT&T tower in downtown St. Louis could see over 600 apartments and a high-tech automated parking system.

The developer behind those plans, The Goldman Group of Boston, also is eyeing a range of amenities for the 44-story tower at Ninth and Chestnut streets, including a possible grocery store, café and sports courts, according to documents shared with the Post-Dispatch.

The automated parking system could solve the building’s lack of parking — an issue city officials and development experts have cited as a major obstacle to the site’s redevelopment.

Charles Goldman of The Goldman Group declined to comment Monday, saying plans are still being finalized.

Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, who recently toured the building, said Goldman has listened to what neighborhood residents want for the building and that she’s excited for the site’s future.

“The developer has a bold vision,� Green said. “If he’s able to pull it off, it will be a game changer.�

The 1.4 million-square-foot tower, which occupies an entire city block at 909 Chestnut Street, has been a long-standing albatross since its last tenant, communications company AT&T, consolidated in 2017 into its smaller tower next door. The building is one of three vacant, prominent structures downtown.

Over the years, a handful of developers have drawn up plans for the building. None have made it past the planning stages.

City development officials and real estate experts have said that the lack of parking, size — it’s the state of Missouri’s largest office by square footage — and general malaise in downtown’s business climate are major impediments to getting the tower redone.

The Goldman Group’s proposal of installing an automated parking system in the building could address the parking issue. That technology uses robots and sensors to move cars. A Wall Street Journal about a new condo development in New York with the technology said drivers navigate over a large metal tray in the floor, which locks the vehicle and loads it onto a rack the size of the car.

But redevelopment of the AT&T building gained some momentum recently when it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, despite being just 39 years old. Its status in the register makes it eligible for state and federal historic tax credits that would help pay for its redevelopment.

The developer could also get leg up if the state Legislature pass a proposed bill from Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis, and Rep. Travis Wilson, R-St. Charles, that would offer incentives to developers who convert unused office space into new apartments and retail.

And Green said the number of apartments proposed so far for the building could help to meet Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ goal of adding thousands of apartments by 2030.

Green said The Goldman Group and the city have not discussed incentives. She said it would be premature to do so until the developer finalizes plans.

The Goldman Group acquired the tower in April for $3.6 million, just a fraction of what the building sold for in 2006 at $205 million.

The company has primarily focused on East Coast redevelopment, though none appear to be on the scale of the AT&T tower, according to its website.

Green said she’s not concerned; the building’s hurdles would be, and have been, an issue for any developer.

A few weeks ago, Goldman gave her a tour of the building. She said the tower still has all of its intricate woodwork and is in good shape despite being vacant for so long. In a social media post about the tour, Green said the building is “in good hands.�

Green said Monday that she believes Goldman could have more definitive plans by this spring.

“It’s a really exciting project,� Green said.