The Arch City Report

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 resurfaci...

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...

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 explor...

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 pol...

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,...

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,...

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 Spe...

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...

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 tho...

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...

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 tran...

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...

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 d...

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-m...

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/...

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 A...

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.bi...

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-...

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  

Remember Downtown Now!? How about Downtown STL Inc., or any of the litany of other downtown advocacy organizations that have came and went over the years. Well, now there’s a new one, and its leader joins us this week to explain why he thinks this one is not only necessary, but why it can affect meaningful change.   SHOW NOTES: http://stldowntownforward.com/   https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/n...