The Arch City Report

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-womenNominate someone for 2027: www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/nominationMentioned in this episode:Cass Commercial BankCass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

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 BankCass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

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-settlement-riverfront-arch-mississippi-river.html Mentioned in this episode:Cass Commercial BankCass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

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.htmlMentioned in this episode:Cass Commercial BankCass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

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 York Times critic led to Robin landing on the paper's list of America's best restaurants — and how that single moment essentially doubled the restaurant's revenue overnight.Alec also gets candid about the grind before the recognition: the slow Tuesdays with nine covers on the books, the challenge of paying staff when the buzz hadn't caught up to the quality, and the careful use of a publicist even when the ROI wasn't obvious. Plus, he shares his philosophy on James Beard nominations, why he refuses to let accolades wag the dog, and what it actually takes to build lasting demand in a city that's always hungry for the next new thing.Mentioned in this episode:Cass Commercial BankCass Commercial Bank...member FDIC. https://www.cassbank.com/

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 already mapping St. Louis streets and legislation moving forward, the question isn’t whether the technology is coming — it’s whether the region will embrace it or risk falling behind, much like it did during the railroad era.Waymo, self-driving trucks are here. Will St. Louis lose like with railroads?Business isn't behind eliminating Missouri's income tax. Will it matter?Show Links:https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/24/income-tax-missouri-business-behind.htmlhttps://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/03/drebes-waymo-self-driving-railroad.html

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 the Library Foundation's board to explore a $10–20 million endowment for the iconic Central Library, one of the region's most important architectural landmarks and an extremely expensive building to maintain.The conversation also turns to St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's recent remarks advocating for a city-county merger — and the mixed reactions that followed. With both governments facing serious budget pressures, is the region finally at a point where consolidation becomes a must?Host Eric is joined by colleague Jacob Kirn to break it all down.Show links:https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/23/city-county-libraries-experiment-merger.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/20/on-deck-next-library-leader.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/20/library-floats-major-endowment-downtown-landmark.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 broader implications for Metro East—a region often overlooked within the St. Louis metro area—and how a development of this scale could reshape perceptions and economic opportunities for communities across southwestern Illinois.Topics covered:Star Bonds program and recent legislative changesThe Nova designation for entertainment destinationsTimeline and approval process for the projectHow Glen Carbon compares to other major regional developmentsMetro East's economic identity and growth potentialShow Links: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/02/27/mixed-use-development-metro-east-billion-star-bond.html

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

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

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

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.

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.