The Arch City Report

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...

Earlier this year, Dominion Voting Systems, the company that won more than $800 million in settlements from lawsuits against 2020 election deniers, was acquired by a St. Louisan. This week, we talk to the buyer of the company to learn why he’s still raising issues of trust and transparency in marketing the newly renamed company.

Happy holidays from all of us at The St. Louis Business Journal!  On April 17th, the Art City Report offered a look into the early makings of Mayor Cara Spencer's administration, a brief forecast of an upcoming event on advanced manufacturing. But the real reason this episode is special is because of Nathan Rubbelke's reporting on what we call the Saviors of South King's Highway. Br...

The Trump Administration’s crackdown on wokeness has put some of America’s elite academic institutions in crisis. But here in St. Louis, Chancellor Andrew Martin has become one of the leading voices for reform. This week, he sits down with the Arch City Report to explain whether doing so raises WashU’s profile for the better. 

A major downtown stakeholder is waging a campaign to get the FBI to change how it tallies crime statistics for St. Louis. It’s part of a wider series of efforts to revive downtown. This week, we offer details from an event focused solely on those topics . 

This week's guest, Ron Kitchens, the new CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc., discusses his vision for the organization and the St. Louis region. He emphasizes the importance of job creation and economic growth, the need to reframe the national perception of St. Louis, and the role of private sector investment in revitalizing the community. Kitchens also shares insights from his previous experience...

Episode 47 EXTRA: Hear the full, hour-long discussion between St. Louis Mayor, Cara Spencer and Business Journal Editor Erik Siemers in front of a live audience. 

Lambert airport is poised to get its biggest makeover ever, with a new $3 billion terminal. But one thing that won’t be part of it is a place where all rental car companies can operate, maybe walkable from that new terminal. Right now, rental car companies operate from six separate facilities a shuttle ride from the airport. We talk about how Enterprise Rent-a-Car wants a fix for that as part of t...