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 urgent, coordinated strategy. He also revisits his earlier suggestion that major employers could make a bold, collective commitment downtown—and whether that idea has gained traction.

The conversation also explores leadership turnover across the region, the growing controversy around data center development, and Clark’s takeaways from being aboard the inaugural nonstop British Airways flight from St. Louis to London—an international moment of visibility for the city.

Show Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/11/20/mayor-calls-regions-biggest-firms-downtown.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/01/28/bob-clark-clayco-cara-spencer-tishaura-jones.html

http://bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/23/downtown-st-louis-tower-windows-shot-out-again.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/16/law-firm-moving-downtown-expand-clayton.html

Mentioned in this episode:

Cass Commercial Bank

Cass 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 Bank

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

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 market, its strong fan support, while revisiting the city’s potential to land future NBA or WNBA franchises.

Show Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/31/chaifetz-dundon-portland-trail-blazers-nba.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/08/st-louis-investor-joins-ownership-mlb-team.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/10/31/jayson-tatum-wnba-franchise-st-louis.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/01/19/major-league-pickleball-st-louis-shock.html

Mentioned in this episode:

Cass Commercial Bank

Cass 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.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/04/03/drebes-waymo-self-driving-railroad.html

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 yourself — can apply not just to individuals, but to the St. Louis region as a whole. Plus, details on the book's April 14th release and a special pre-game book event at the Blues vs. Penguins game.

Show Links:

• https://chrispronger.com/book
• https://chrispronger.com/events 

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 

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 event gifts made with tax dollars, a $24,000 grant with ties to former Mayor Tishaura Jones, and a previously unreported effort to secure a share of the Zoo Museum District property tax. State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick expects to complete his review by the end of 2026.

Show links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/16/regional-arts-commisson-travel-zoo-museum-district.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/06/state-investigation-targets-regional-arts-grant-to.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/12/rac-weighs-gift-policy.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/03/state-auditor-probes-regional-arts-commission.html

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 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 changes
• The Nova designation for entertainment destinations
• Timeline and approval process for the project
• How Glen Carbon compares to other major regional developments
• Metro East's economic identity and growth potential

Show Links:

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

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.

Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/inno/stories/news/2026/02/23/techstl-targets-growth-mid-market-firms.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/inno/stories/news/2026/02/23/jobs-report-tech-demand-across-occupations.html