The Arch City Report

Brentwood, Missouri's $436 million "Brentwood Bound" redevelopment along Manchester Road is moving full steam ahead — but not without controversy. This week, we unpack three major stories shaping the future of this small St. Louis County suburb.

First, the Brentwood Board of Aldermen has approved a $15 million, four-story Extra Space Storage facility at Manchester Road — a 106,992-square-foot mixed-use building with ground-floor retail, signaling the corridor's transformation is well underway.

Meanwhile, 179 to 200 new apartments are advancing as part of the same Brentwood Bound project. Developer Halo Real Estate is purchasing city-owned properties for $1 million and seeking a Chapter 100 tax...

St. Louis is rebuilding its international air connections — one flight at a time.

Icelandair's new nonstop service to Reykjavik gives Lambert Airport its third European destination, joining Lufthansa's Frankfurt route and British Airways' London service, which recently announced an 80% capacity increase. The momentum raises a big question: is St. Louis on its way back to the international standing it enjoyed under TWA?

In this episode, Jacob Kirn sits down with Kevin O'Malley, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and chair of the St. Louis County Port Authority, the agency that has helped fund and negotiate th...

Twenty-five years ago, the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District was one point away from losing its state accreditation. Today, it posts the highest performance score of any district in Missouri — and home values in Maplewood have surged nearly 80% (adjusted for inflation) over that same period.

This week, host Erik Siemers is joined by St. Louis Business Journal reporter Kate Marijolovic to unpack how a district once written off as failing became the region's top performer. The turnaround wasn't a single dramatic move — it was years of methodical change driven by Superintendent Dr. Linda Henke, from rewriting curriculum and rais...

Katie Lee is the owner of Katie's Pizza & Pasta — a St. Louis food empire spanning four restaurants, a frozen pizza manufacturing facility, and an e-commerce business employing around 500 people. Now she's also a published author.

Her new memoir, *Unemployable: The Katie Lee Story*, traces a turbulent childhood, battles with addiction and sobriety, and the unlikely rise of one of St. Louis's most relentless entrepreneurs. The title comes from a phrase her father, Tom Lee, used to describe them both — and Katie flipped it into a badge of honor.

In this episode, Katie sits down with host...

After 1,700 police calls over a decade, the Mark Twain Hotel is finally closed. The settlement reached by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway with the hotel's owner marked a major early win for Downtown Forward, a nonprofit launched this spring to tackle problem properties and improve quality of life in downtown St. Louis.

Erik sits down with attorney Jerry Schlichter — co-founder of Schlichter Bogard and co-founder of Downtown Forward — to discuss how the Mark Twain closure came together, the relocation of 168 residents through partnerships with the city and Peter & Paul Community Services, and the problem properties and street-level drug...

When a new presidential administration takes office, policy shifts can ripple through the business world in unexpected ways. This week, reporter Jim Drew joins the show to share the story of Chrysalis Biosciences — a company that, at the start of 2024, was poised to transform a shuttered ethanol plant in Sauget, Illinois into a production facility for renewable jet fuel. With a landmark investment from a $200 million sustainable aviation fuel fund led by Airbus, the future looked bright.

But after Donald Trump returned to the White House, the Biden-era support for sustainable fuels evaporated, investors lost interest, and Ch...

rban Chestnut Brewing was one of St. Louis's most beloved craft beer brands — until debt, the pandemic, and shifting consumer trends drove it into bankruptcy. Entrepreneur Brian Travers, who acquired the brewery in early 2025, joins host Erik Siemers to discuss how he's steering it toward stability.

Topics covered:

- How his years as an Urban Chestnut regular during COVID led him to acquire the company out of bankruptcy

- Why he kept the original leadership team, including CEO Dave Wolf, largely intact

- Acquiring O'Fallon Brewing and other regional beer brands to...

What does it take to transform a neighborhood and, ultimately, a city? In this special Arch City Report episode, we share highlights from a live panel featuring Build-A-Bear founder Maxine Clark, WashU executive Brian Phillips and East Loop CID leader Samantha Smugala. Hear the stories behind Delmar Divine, The Grove and the Delmar Loop, plus a candid discussion on whether St. Louis can follow Detroit’s comeback blueprint and what real placemaking success requires.

Habitat for Humanity St. Louis is breaking ground on a 40-home development in the Vandeventer neighborhood — one of the largest housing projects North St. Louis has seen in decades. Host Erik talks with CEO Kimberly McKinney about how the $17 million, tax-credit-backed project came together, how the May 2025 tornado accelerated the need, and what it takes to turn vacant city land into an affordable, thriving neighborhood.

Supporting sponsors: Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.

SHOW LINKS:

St. Louis nonprofit breaks ground on affordable housing project backed by $17M in tax credits

St. Lo...

Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City has stood for over 120 years, but its 600+ employees recently missed a paycheck. Business Journal reporter Nathan Rubbelke joins Erik to unpack how the hospital's Los Angeles-based owner, American Healthcare Systems, fell behind on payroll, racked up over $2.6 million in delinquent property taxes, and lost hospital properties at a tax sale — all while its co-founders are locked in a bitter legal battle accusing each other of misappropriating funds, including a mysterious $4.5 million in state supplemental funding. The conversation traces Gateway's journey from a nun-run Catholic hospital to a bankruptcy sale to AHS ownership, an...

Where Will You Watch the Blues This Season? Inside the Collapse of Regional Sports Networks

As regional sports networks collapse nationwide, professional sports teams are scrambling to reinvent how fans watch their games. In this episode of Arch City Report, business journal reporter Nathan Rubbelke joins host Erik Siemers to break down how the St. Louis Blues are overhauling both the production and distribution of their broadcasts for the upcoming NHL season — including a new partnership with the NHL's in-house production arm, an expanded slate of over-the-air games, and the search for a new cable and streaming pa...

Missouri voters dealt a major blow to Governor Mike Kehoe's top priority this week, rejecting Amendment 5 — a measure that would have set the state on a path to eliminating its individual income tax.

Despite being outspent more than four-to-one, opponents successfully branded the proposal "the everything tax," raising fears about higher sales taxes and cuts to education and public services. But what does the lopsided result really mean for Kehoe's agenda — and for Missouri's broader political landscape?

Jacob Kirn speaks with Dave Drebes, publisher of Missouri Scout and columnist for the St. Louis Business Journal, to b...

What if the key to solving St. Louis's biggest challenges is simply getting the right people in the same room — and actually letting them talk?

Erik sits down with Matt Homann, founder and CEO of Filament, a St. Louis-based company that makes meetings more productive. Filament has been tapped by the Regional Business Council to help convene downtown stakeholders who, despite doing good work, had likely never been in the same room together.

Matt explains why Filament bans PowerPoint entirely, how simple exercises like "I wish, I wonder, I worry" unlock surprising consensus, and why br...

Karen Branding, president and CEO of the Regional Business Council, joins the show to explain how the 100-CEO organization is stepping up on two of St. Louis' most pressing challenges. First, she details the RBC's downtown revitalization effort — a coalition of more than 30 organizations now in the middle of a six-month sprint targeting cleaner streets, increased police presence, a more active riverfront, and a better narrative for the city's core. Then, she breaks down the RBC's position on city-county regionalism: why a majority of its members support city re-entry into the county as the most realistic path forward, what le...

ESCO Technologies has grown 240% in five years — but most St. Louisans have never heard of it.

Business reporter Nathan Rubbelke joins host Erik Siemers to break down the surprising rise of ESCO Technologies, a St. Louis-based public company whose stock has surged from roughly $95 to over $330 a share in five years. With $1 billion in annual revenue and ambitions to double that by 2027, ESCO is drawing Wall Street attention it rarely sought before.

Ribelky explains how CEO Brian Saylor — a 30-year company veteran — has transformed ESCO from a quiet holding company into a high-growth enterprise by doubli...

en years after Bayer's landmark $63 billion acquisition of St. Louis-based Monsanto, the German pharmaceutical giant is finally seeing the legal tide turn — but the battle is far from over. In this episode, St. Louis Business Journal reporter Jim Drew joins host Erik to break down a recent flurry of major developments in Bayer's long-running Roundup litigation.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed Bayer a decisive 7-2 victory, ruling that federal pesticide law preempts state-level "failure to warn" lawsuits — potentially clearing a path to dismiss tens of thousands of claims. At the same time, a St. Louis Circuit Cour...

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer joins Erik and Jacob to take stock of downtown's momentum — and confront the city's toughest structural questions.

Six months after calling on the business community to plant a flag downtown, Mayor Spencer returns to the Arch City Report to assess what's changed. With the Rams settlement bill moving through the Board of Aldermen — potentially allocating $55 million for downtown redevelopment, the riverfront, and North City — Spencer breaks down exactly how those dollars would be deployed and what private matching investment could follow.

But the conversation quickly turns to the harder questions: a stat...

St. Louis chef Loryn Nalic — chef and co-owner of Balkan Treat Box and Telva at The Ridge — joins Veneta Rizvic to celebrate her 2026 James Beard Award win in the Best Chef Midwest category. Loryn shares what the win means to her, the deeply personal story behind Balkan Treat Box and how the restaurant helped reunite her husband Edo's family after years of separation, and her recent research trip to Bosnia where she trained at a legendary bakery. She also weighs in on the flourishing St. Louis dining scene, the "James Beard effect" on her business, and what the future migh...

The St. Louis Business Journal has announced its 2026 class of Most Influential Businesswomen — the 27th year of an awards program that has celebrated more than 530 women business leaders since 1999. Host Veneta Rizvic sits down with Julie Murphy, founder and managing principal of JFM Strategies and a 2025 honoree, who also served as a judge for this year's selection process. Julie shares insight into her 30-plus years navigating the intersection of government, business, and community development — from helping keep the National Geospatial Agency in St. Louis to revitalization projects at Laclede's Landing. She and Veneta also discuss a few of this year...

On the 150th anniversary of St. Louis’ “Great Divorce,” a decision many blame for the region’s long decline, a new conversation is emerging: Is reunification finally possible? This week I sit down with attorney and researcher Joe Blanner, who has spent a decade studying the 1876 split and its lasting consequences. We explore why past merger efforts have failed, why familiar problems keep resurfacing across generations, and whether today’s political and financial pressures create a true inflection point. With a new book in the works, Blanner makes the case for why this time might be different—and what it could tak...

Are schools the biggest barrier to St. Louis’ growth? This week on the Arch City Report we explore how school choice shapes where newcomers land—and whether they stay. First, Anthony Bartlett of relocation and retention firm Acclimate shares what relocating families really face when navigating the region’s complex education landscape. Then, reporter Kate Marijolovic breaks down her deep dive into how schools factor into population decline, and why local and state leaders are paying closer attention. It’s a candid look at a critical issue with major implications for the city’s future.

All that and more t...

A regional reset is on the table — but can St. Louis actually pull it off? On this episode of the Arch City Report, East-West Gateway’s Jim Wild and Greater St. Louis Inc.’s Ron Kitchens discuss a new effort to align the region’s fractured approach to growth. From competing economic development agendas to the challenge of building trust across city, county and state lines, the conversation explores what it will really take to create a shared vision. It won’t be easy — but as Wild puts it: if you don’t start, you don’t start.

All that and m...

A major week for downtown St. Louis may signal a turning point. A $230 million Rams settlement plan, new state-backed incentives, and long-stalled redevelopment projects could finally gain momentum for revitalizing downtown. But how much impact will they have—and how soon? This week on the Arch City Report, Greater St. Louis Inc. Managing Partner Ron Kitchens breaks down the funding plans, the policy changes, and what it all means for the future of downtown. Plus, why data centers could be critical to the region’s long-term growth.

Show Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/05/07/rams...

St. Louis has long overlooked the Mississippi River—but that may be starting to change. A proposed $15 million investment from Rams settlement funds could jumpstart new life along the riverfront, with big implications for downtown and Laclede’s Landing. Gretchen Minges, co-owner of Laclede’s Landing developer Advantes Group, joins the conversation to discuss growing momentum behind redevelopment, current projects on the Landing, and the challenges still standing in the way. She also weighs in on whether ambitious long-term visions for the riverfront are still within reach as interest in reconnecting the city to the river builds.

Show L...

What is St. Louis’ “north star” — and who should define it? On this episode of the Arch City Report, Erik Siemers breaks down a wide-ranging Advance STL panel featuring leaders from Invest STL, The Opportunity Trust and Beyond Housing. Joined by St. Louis Business Journal reporter Jim Drew, the conversation explores leadership gaps, political realities, the limits of waiting for a single savior, and the role the business community must play in driving regional change.

Show Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/30/nonprofit-leaders-critique-st-louis-political-as.html

Mentioned in this episode:

Cass Commercial Bank

As St. Louis grapples with downtown challenges and questions about who should lead the city’s next chapter, one longtime business leader continues to call on the private sector to step up. In this episode of The Arch City Report, Clayco chairman Bob Clark joins editor Erik Siemers to discuss the role business leaders can—and should—play in shaping the region’s future.

Clark, one of Mayor Cara Spencer’s most prominent supporters, addresses criticism surrounding a recent data center vote, his financial backing of the mayor’s campaign and his long-standing argument that St. Louis lacks an urg...

Robin, the James Beard-nominated restaurant that seemingly came out of nowhere, is the hottest table in St. Louis — and maybe in the country. Jacob Kirn sits down with Alec Schingel, Robin's owner and chef, to dig into the real story behind one of the most talked-about restaurant openings in recent memory.

Alec traces his culinary journey from Urbana to the kitchens of Gerard Craft, to Belgium and back, and explains why a small 24-seat counter-service model in Maplewood turned out to be a masterclass in restaurant economics. He breaks down how a surprise visit from a New Yo...

This week, the Arch City Report speaks with Dr. Richard Chaifetz about his expanding footprint in professional sports ownership. Chaifetz, a Chicago-based billionaire best known in St. Louis for his ties to Saint Louis University, discusses his recent minority stakes in multiple franchises, including Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, and whether those deals represent steps toward eventual full ownership someday. Chaifetz also reflects on the investment appeal of professional sports, weighing financial returns against passion and long-term value. We also ask Dr. Chaifetz to assess St. Louis as a sports mark...

Missouri leaders are pushing to eliminate the state’s income tax — a proposal that might sound like an easy win for business. But as this episode explores, the reality is more complicated.

Jacob Kirn is joined by Dave Drebes, publisher of Missouri Scout and a St. Louis Business Journal columnist, to break down why the business community isn’t fully behind the plan, and what it would actually mean for companies across the state.

The conversation also turns to another major policy debate unfolding in Jefferson City: how Missouri should approach autonomous vehicles. With Waymo alread...

Hockey Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup Champion Chris Pronger joins the Arch City Report to discuss his new book, Earned: The True Cost of Greatness from One of Hockey's Fiercest Competitors. Chris shares the life lessons he's learned from his career in the NHL — from facing adversity and building resilience, to the challenge of finding purpose after retirement. He opens up about his transition from professional athlete to entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker, and why he chose to make St. Louis his permanent home. The conversation also explores how the principles in his book — self-assessment, ownership, and betting on y...

Retiring St. Louis Public Library CEO Waller McGuire says the city and county library systems could serve as a real-world test case for broader regional consolidation — an idea gaining renewed attention as local leaders weigh deeper cooperation between governments. McGuire, who plans to step down in October after more than three decades, says the two systems have already merged their catalogs and are open to going further. But complications abound: vastly different tax rates, state law requirements, and the question of whether the public and elected leaders actually want it.

Also in this episode: McGuire has asked th...

The biggest funder of arts in St. Louis is under scrutiny. The Regional Arts Commission (RAC), established by Missouri lawmakers in 1985 to distribute grants for arts and culture, is now the subject of a state performance audit after whistleblower complaints alleging excessive staffing expenses and bonuses. Host Jacob Kirn sits down with reporter Jim Drew to unpack what's going on — from questions about how RAC classifies its administrative spending to stay under a legally mandated 15% cap, to CEO Vanessa Cooksey's total compensation exceeding $200,000, to more than $841,000 spent on travel and consultants over three years. They also dig into life ev...

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/27/mixed-use-development-metro-east-billion-star-bond.html

Erik explores one of the most ambitious development projects in the St. Louis region's history—a proposed $2 billion retail and entertainment complex in Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Joined by Kyle Anderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois, they discuss how the 1,500-acre project would use Illinois' Star Bonds program to create a destination entertainment district at the I-270/I-255 interchange. The conversation covers what Star Bonds are, why Glen Carbon is positioned for this development, how the legislation protects existing businesses, and what the competitive application process looks like.

They also examine the br...

St. Louis has worked to establish itself as a tech hub, but much of the attention goes to startups and billion-dollar enterprises. Lost in the middle are established tech firms generating $1-100 million annually that quietly drive job growth and innovation.

Host Erik Siemers speaks with TechSTL CEO Emily Hemingway and T-Kartor CEO Simon Bailey about the organization's new focus on these mid-market companies. They discuss why this sector offers the stability St. Louis needs, how AI is reshaping tech jobs, and why bridging startups, mid-market firms, and large enterprises could unlock new opportunities for the region.<...

Longtime media voice Charlie Brennan joins The Arch City Report this week to share stories from his travels, particularly what other cities get right, and how St. Louis can do better—from transit and safety to small civic fixes.  

SHOW NOTES:
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/30/charlie-brennan-what-other-cities-get-right.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/27/charlie-brennan-add-voice-business-journal.html 

In an exclusive interview with the St. Louis Business Journal, billionaire David Hoffmann lifts the curtain on an ambitious plan linking media power, pro‑sports ownership and a St. Louis expansion spree. He hints at reshaping local journalism, moving Lee Enterprises, and even pursuing the Cardinals — all while revealing how community backlash and industry headwinds have redirected his once‑grand Augusta vision. 

SHOW NOTES:
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/05/david-hoffmann-takes-control-lee-enterprises.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/05/hoffmann-says-he-wants-to-buy-cardinals.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/06/how-david-hoffmann-pivoted-from-business-failures.html 

This week, we’re joined by Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III to explain the team’s new direct-to-consumer streaming plan, the financial reality of modern baseball, looming stadium upgrades and what this year’s roster overhaul really means—for the franchise and its fans. 

SHOW NOTES:
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/02/mlb-cardinals-produce-distribute-games.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/08/sources-cardinals-to-cut-main-street-second-bidder.html 

After a 25-story apartment project in Clayton was downsized to a 4-story bank branch, we sought to ask the question: What’s going on with development in the city. This week, we talk to Clayton’s new mayor to find out.  

SHOW NOTES:
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/23/sterling-bank-clayton-bemiston-building-tower.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/05/15/apartments-tower-clayton-revive-capital-seven-up.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/05/22/clayton-hotel-high-rise-tower-dropped-midas-jazz.html 

St. Louis' first big shopping mall could be getting a remake. This week, we talk to the County Councilman who is pushing the idea of turning South County Center into a youth sports facility, while examining the region’s vast collection of sports-related real estate projects.   

SHOW NOTES:
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/14/mall-redeveloped-youth-sports.html