In a statement Centene claimed that the scope of the project could not accommodate their needs. This, despite a public announcement last year detailing plans and construction timetables.

Now, Jeff Rainford, Mayor Slay's Chief of Staff says the project was just too complex.

"In essence you were taking one complicated real estate deal and dropping it on top of another complicated real estate deal and I think at the end of the day it may have been a square peg in a round hole," he said.

Cardinals Team President Bill Dewitt III claims that Centene's pullout will not change the final vision for the project.

"What we always had was a phase-2 expansion phase. And, Centene was going to fast-forward that process. So, now that that's not going to happen we just go back to that original vision of executing on phase 1 which is the bulk of the retail and office and so forth," DeWitt said.

However, a new development plan has yet to be approved by the city as well as a bond sale to finance construction. © Copyright 2013, St. Louis Public Radio