The Arch City Report

The St. Louis school district that lifted itself from the bottom

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 raising teaching standards to rebuilding community pride through sports, arts, and civic engagement. But the story doesn't end at the classroom door. Realtors say the school district is now the single biggest draw for young families moving to Maplewood, where homes routinely sell in under a week. Erik and Kate explore what this means for St. Louis Public Schools, which enrolls nearly 10 times as many students and is navigating its own facilities crisis through the "Future Ready SLPS" plan. Could a Maplewood-style cultural shift take root in a large urban district — and would it be enough to reverse the region's demographic decline? Read more: Find Kate Marijolovic's reporting at bizjournals.com/stlouis, or tap the links in the show notes. This episode is supported by Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.

Unemployable: How Katie Lee Scaled From St. Louis to Target Shelves Nationwide

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 Venita Rizvic, special sections editor at the St. Louis Business Journal, to discuss: - Why she wrote the book as a way to mourn her father and her close friend Rolando - The tough-love lessons from her father that shaped her entrepreneurial grit - Writing and self-publishing the memoir in 30 days to meet a Target deadline - The Target partnership that grew her CPG line from 500 to 7,500 doors in one year - Balancing single motherhood with a rapidly expanding business - What's next: a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, a documentary, and more *Unemployable* is available now at Target stores nationwide, on Amazon, and at katies.com. Independent bookstore distribution begins November 1st. The Arch City Report is presented by the St. Louis Business Journal, with supporting sponsors Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.

After Mark Twain, the next target for downtown cleanup

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 activity still facing the area around the Old Post Office and Schnucks Culinaria. Schlichter also shares his decades-long commitment to the urban core, his role in championing the state historic tax credit, and why his firm has never left downtown. This episode of the Arch City Report is brought to you by Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank. SHOW LINKS: Mark Twain Hotel owner agrees to settlement over hazardous conditions, criminal activity Missouri attorney general targets Mark Twain Hotel over alleged drug trafficking Nonprofits highlight efforts to rehouse Mark Twain Hotel residents

Trump policy upends Metro East fuel plant

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 Chrysalis was forced to pivot. Erik and Jim break down how changes to federal tax credits, carbon intensity scoring, and the Inflation Reduction Act reshaped the playing field — not just for Chrysalis, but for ethanol producers nationwide. Plus, we explore the company's next chapter: a two-part strategy to restart conventional ethanol production while building new fermentation technology to manufacture biopolymers and surfactants, potentially adding 100 jobs to the Metro East economy. Then, events director Dana Dhom stops by to preview the St. Louis Business Journal's upcoming events, including the Fast 50 Awards on September 24th at City Winery and the 40 Under 40 Awards on November 5th at FanDuel Sports Live in Ballpark Village — plus a look ahead at upcoming panel discussions on the city-county merger question and the future of downtown St. Louis. Read Jim Drew's full reporting on Chrysalis Biosciences at bizjournals.com/stlouis. See the full SBJ events calendar here

Urban Chestnut’s new owner makes a big bet on beer

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 build a larger beverage platform - Urban Chestnut's expansion beyond German-style lagers with the new Squirrel Works hazy IPA line - Plans to grow into ready-to-drink cocktails and other beverage categories - Why brand strength and consolidation, not category growth, will define craft beer's next era - New locations, including the O'Fallon, Illinois food hall, and wholesale expansion into Tennessee and Chicago This episode is brought to you by Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank. Read more about Urban Chestnut's growth strategy: Former MLB base factory reopens as food hall near Illinois youth sports complex

The secrets to putting a place on the map

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.

Is this the spark to rebuild north St. Louis?

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. Louis development agency taps unique financing tool for 40-home development

The saga of a struggling Metro East hospital

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, and explores the broader financial squeeze facing safety-net hospitals serving low-income, Medicaid-dependent communities across the country. Show Links: Gateway Regional Medical Center faces tax sales and legal rift as owner provides $1M loan

• Chapters

Why the Blues aren’t going for free TV

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 partner. Then, Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University's Olin School of Business, joins to unpack the bigger financial picture: why local media revenue is so hard to replace, how private equity is reshaping team ownership, and why some markets — and some owners — may be better positioned than others to weather the shift. Topics covered: Why FanDuel Sports Network Midwest's collapse is forcing the Blues to rethink their entire broadcast strategy How NHL-produced broadcasts will change what fans see on screen The trade-offs between free over-the-air TV, streaming, and pay cable Why regional sports revenue can be nearly impossible to fully replace The rise of private equity investment in professional sports How state income tax policy may be influencing player free agency decisions Mixed-use sports districts as a new year-round revenue strategy Read more of this reporting at www.bizjournals.com/stlouis. Thanks to our sponsors, Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.

Can Missouri still eliminate its income tax?

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 break down why a well-funded tax cut campaign failed in a deep-red state, which constituencies drove the opposition, and what comes next for the governor heading into a budget-constrained legislative session. In this episode: Why the absence of a specific plan became Amendment 5's biggest vulnerability The role of the Missouri Realtors Association in funding the opposition What the defeat means for Kehoe's political standing and business alliances Whether a bold tax reform push could return — or if Missouri is back to slow, incremental cuts The structural challenges keeping Democrats in the super-minority at the Capitol LINKS: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis

The power of getting people in the same room

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 breakthroughs happen when people stop delivering information and start thinking together. They also discuss Filament's annual Thinksgiving event (November 5th at Cortex Innovation District), where businesses and nonprofits are paired to tackle real strategic challenges — producing results like a nonprofit rebrand, new board members, and leadership skills employees bring back to the office. More info at thinksgivingday.com Learn more about Filament: meetfilament.com

Business group pushes for city re-entry into county

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 lessons past failed attempts have taught, and what the business community can actually do to move the needle.

The story behind St. Louis' hottest stock

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 doubling down on three sectors: aerospace and defense (including major U.S. Navy submarine contracts), utilities infrastructure, and radio frequency testing. His boldest moves: two record-breaking acquisitions — a $550 million maritime defense deal and a $2.3 billion utility purchase he'd been eyeing for a decade. Then, Jed Ellerbroek of Argent Capital Management puts ESCO's rise in broader context, explaining why St. Louis public companies are lagging national indexes — and what it would take for the region to close the gap. LINKS: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/07/14/st-louis-stock-index-lags-national-averages-tech.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/07/14/esco-technologies-navy-defense-aerospace-stock.html

Bayer’s St. Louis legacy: 10 years of litigation

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 Court is weighing a proposed $7.25 billion class action settlement that would resolve 67,000 Roundup cases, even as a faction of cancer victims pushes back on the terms. We also look at Bayer's surprising move to create a separate business unit — Ruvian — to house its Roundup operations, raising questions about liability management and whether a full spinoff could be on the horizon. And as insurers fight back against Bayer's attempts to recoup billions in legal costs, we examine what the science still doesn't know about glyphosate — and why this story may be far from its final chapter. Cancer research continues as Supreme Court sides with Bayer on Roundup labels Just a mBayer says Supreme Court ruling should dismiss 'vast majority' of Roundup lawsuitsoment... Judge delays Bayer's $7.25B Roundup settlement hearing amid objections Judge declares mistrial in Roundup lawsuit after US Supreme Court ruling Bayer creates new unit for Roundup business, based in Creve Coeur Insurers attack Bayer bid for coverage (Round Up)

Mayor Cara Spencer on downtown’s direction

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 state-appointed police board demanding a 22% pay raise with 24-hour notice, the strain on city services from a declining tax base, and whether St. Louis can realistically meet all of its pressing needs without a bigger structural fix. Is it finally time for a serious conversation about city-county merger? Topics covered: Downtown development progress — Millennium site, Ballpark Village Phase 3, AT&T Tower, and Mansion House How the $55M in Rams settlement funds would be allocated across downtown, the riverfront, and North City The city's role as facilitator vs. doer in redevelopment The breakdown with the state police board and the battle over officer pay and benefits The case for regionalizing government functions — and whether opposition to merger is softening Arch City Report is sponsored by Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.

How a St. Louis Food Truck Became a James Beard Award Winner — and Reunited a Family

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 might hold for her restaurants. https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/06/15/st-louisan-best-chef-james-beard-foundation-awards.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/feature/arch-city-report Mentioned in this episode: Cass Commercial Bank Cass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

Most Influential Business Women 2026 with Julie Murphy

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's honorees, what the judging process was really like, and what it truly means to be an influential businesswoman. The 2026 Most Influential Business Women luncheon takes place Thursday, August 13th, at the Ritz Carlton, St. Louis. Read more: www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/most-influential-business-women Nominate someone for 2027: www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/nomination Mentioned in this episode: Cass Commercial Bank Cass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

150 years of the Great Divorce

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 take to finally bring the city and county back together. Mentioned in this episode: Cass Commercial Bank Cass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

Are schools St. Louis’ biggest growth deterrent?

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 this week's Arch City Report podcast! Mentioned in this episode: Cass Commercial Bank Cass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

The $1M roadmap for St. Louis’ future

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 more this week's Arch City Report podcast. Show Links: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/09/11/advancestl-transcript.html Mentioned in this episode: Cass Commercial Bank Cass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/