Mo. Rev. Stat. § 523.271: Exercise of eminent domain over private property for economic development purposes prohibited — definition.

1. No condemning authority shall acquire private property through the process of eminent domain for solely economic development purposes.

2. For the purposes of this section, "economic development" shall mean a use of a specific piece of property or properties which would provide an increase in the tax base, tax revenues, employment, and general economic health, and does not include the elimination of blighted, substandard, or unsanitary conditions, or conditions rendering the property or its surrounding area a conservation area as defined in section 99.805.