Today, I'm in a place that few people have been in the last five years, the top of the Compton Hill Water Tower.

It's currently closed to the public, but a new assessment is proposing changes that could reopen the tower one day.

So would you say the age is starting to show of this building?

Yeah, definitely.

Yeah, you know, it's a beautiful building.

It's a historic building, but you know, you can see looking around that you have, you know, there's some tuck pointing issues.

There's some dust and erosion here from the mortar and we're definitely starting to show its age.

Spencer Gould is the special assistant to the St.

Louis City Water Commissioner.

He took us inside the tower and up all 198 steps to see some of the issues with the historic structure.

Who needs the stair step at the gym?

Exactly.

Here's some, there's some more.

- You can see all that, you know, hard work.

- You can really see the debris here.

And our hard hats weren't just for show.

- Yeah, watch your step.

We've got some gaps here and some uneven ground.

- Rickety walkways, low-hanging wires, and falling debris presented obstacles on the tour.

The 179-foot tower was designed by architect Harvey Ellis and completed at the end of the 19th century.

It was used as a standpipe water tower, helping to regulate water pressure for St.

Louis City residents before improved technology came along.

It was only in commission for 30 years, which is a long run, but I think once that went down, I don't think it was designed to last the other 100 years since then.

But I think it stands to the work that they did and the engineering work that they did that it is still standing today.

It's one of only seven historic standpipe water towers that are left in the country, three of which are in St.

Louis.

The tower closed to the public in 2019 due to structural and safety issues and hasn't reopened since.

- It's a beautiful spot.

It's one of the few places, it's one of the highest points in the city, and you can see a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city of St.

Louis.

It's one of the few places in the city where you get to see something like this.

And it's the only place in the city where you get to see the arch, 'cause if you're up there, you can't look outside of it.

- Because of the volunteers at the Water Tower and Park Preservation Society, people used to be able to visit the tower from March to November for a small fee.

The Preservation Society also opened the tower during full moons because of the excellent view from the top.

This was my second time in the tower since it closed.

In 2023, the then water commissioner, Curtis Scobie, gave me a tour to check out the damage.

Almost three years later, it doesn't look any better.

In fact, it's a bit worse.

Every time we have a freeze-thaw cycle, you're going to get that damage, especially as these spaces are exposed still and not covered.

Water gets in, expands, and you're gonna get these cracks and things are just getting worse and worse over time.

- The City Water Division, the Water Tower and Park Preservation Society, and Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez were able to finance an official assessment of the tower in August.

The 80-page report was released in January.

It highlighted the structural and aesthetic issues and put together a long-term restoration plan for the tower.

And considering how long the building has been closed to the public, this is a huge step forward.

The largest things that we're looking to repair are going to be maintaining that facade, so waterproofing to essentially ensure that there's not a continued deterioration, as well as maintaining any areas that may be public safety issues.

So as I discussed earlier, you know, some limestone and some things falling, we want to address those to not only make sure that the building is protected from the elements, but then also protecting the public so that hopefully we can get people back in here as soon as possible.

But the assessment estimates the restorations will cost around $6 million.

I mean, a project of this size not only has a large price tag, but it's also time and trying to figure out a way to collaborate with the public and us as a city, as well as donors who might be interested.

And raising those funds in order to do this is probably going to be the biggest challenge.

The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society members are working on planning some fundraising events.

The society, along with Alderwoman Velazquez and the City Water Division, are also researching grants and other methods to raise funds to repair the historic tower.

Even if the $6 million are raised, the repairs will take time.

But Spencer Gold says it's worth it.

I honestly believe that this tower is not only an architectural and engineering marvel, but it's a cultural icon.

And I think often from a distance, when you're driving past it, it looks fine.

You see the building and you see it from when you're driving down the road and you don't notice it.

But especially when you come in here and see it in person and getting close, you can realize that how bad and how much this the tower itself has deteriorated.

I view and I think the city views this as an important piece of our infrastructure, an important piece of our cultural heritage and cultural heritage of the city.

And I think that's worth preserving.