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/news/2025/12/08/kurt-weigle-greater-st-louis-inc-departure.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/01/12/downtown-developments-1-billion-construction.html 

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/12/10/horseback-security-downtown-megaevents.html 

The Business Journal this year wants your big ideas for St. Louis. And to start, we’ll talk with someone who already thinks widely and deeply about St. Louis who also some big ideas of his own for how to tackle one of this region’s thorniest topics: The merger of the city and the county.  

Show Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarradholst/recent-activity/all/ 

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.

Brothers, Ivan and Berto Garcia have a really unique approach to taking risk in real estate investments in a way that is transforming a historic, yet sometimes forgotten St. Louis neighborhood.  Enjoy this "best of" episode from April and we'll be back with fresh episodes in 2026!

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 experiences, including the successful Kalamazoo Promise program, and how similar initiatives could benefit St. Louis.

At a Business Journal event, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer offered insight and ideas for tackling some of St. Louis’ biggest challenges, from downtown to tornado recovery to fixing city schools. This week, we get into the details on some of her most eyebrow-raising notions. 

Show LInks:

Stories written from Mayoral interview:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/11/21/spencer-goal-restore-trust-city.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/11/20/mayor-floats-free-college-boost-city-st-louis.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2025/11/21/mayor-post-tornado-rebound-would-help-whole-region.html

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

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 the new terminal.