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-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/

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 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/

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/

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 Bank

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

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, current projects on the Landing, and the challenges still standing in the way. She also weighs in on whether ambitious long-term visions for the riverfront are still within reach as interest in reconnecting the city to the river builds.

Show Links:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/05/07/rams-settlement-riverfront-arch-mississippi-river.html

Mentioned in this episode:

Cass Commercial Bank

Cass 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.html

Mentioned in this episode:

Cass Commercial Bank

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

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/