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The Arch City Report: Daily Summaries Delivered
by St. Louis Business Journal
A weekly news podcast covering the biggest stories from the St. Louis Business Journal.
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- 4 days ago21 min
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
- 1 weeks ago25 min
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 ChicagoThis 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
- 2 weeks ago29 min
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.
- 3 weeks ago27 min
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 creditsSt. Louis development agency taps unique financing tool for 40-home development
- Aug 20, 202624 min
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
- Aug 13, 202626 min
Why the Blues aren’t going for free TV
Where Will You Watch the Blues This Season? Inside the Collapse of Regional Sports NetworksAs 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 strategyHow NHL-produced broadcasts will change what fans see on screenThe trade-offs between free over-the-air TV, streaming, and pay cableWhy regional sports revenue can be nearly impossible to fully replaceThe rise of private equity investment in professional sportsHow state income tax policy may be influencing player free agency decisionsMixed-use sports districts as a new year-round revenue strategyRead more of this reporting at www.bizjournals.com/stlouis. Thanks to our sponsors, Maryville University and Cass Commercial Bank.
- Aug 6, 202619 min
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 vulnerabilityThe role of the Missouri Realtors Association in funding the oppositionWhat the defeat means for Kehoe's political standing and business alliancesWhether a bold tax reform push could return — or if Missouri is back to slow, incremental cutsThe structural challenges keeping Democrats in the super-minority at the CapitolLINKS:https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis
- Jul 30, 202628 min
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.comLearn more about Filament: meetfilament.com
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