1.16.26

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Big changes are coming to a highway interchange that affects not just my neighbors in the southeast quadrant of the city, but anyone who enjoys a show at The Fox or Powell Hall or a game at Energizer Park. Ryan Krull breaks the news below—and explains why there’s still time to let your voice be heard if you share local business owners’ fury.

And if you care about the St. Louis Science Center, you’ll want to read my story about the changes being made to some of its signature programs. For many years, the science center has been a destination on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Not so this year. Read all about it before you head into what should be a chilly three-day weekend.

Have a story idea? Reply to this email, or send me a message at sfenske@stlmag.com.

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5 Things to Do

🎸 Bob Weir Tribute at Delmar Hall (Fri)

📖 Jacob Soboroff at SLCL (Sat)

🎵 Rascal Flatts at Enterprise Center (Sat)

😂 Sheryl Underwood at Helium (Fri-Sun)

🎭 The Outsiders at The Fox (Fri-Sun)

The St. Louis Science Center says it's "redesigning" a key program, but participants feel cut loose. Courtesy photo

THIS JUST IN

St. Louis Science Center cancels MLK Day showcase, halts teen program

In the past month, the St. Louis Science Center has terminated all the staffers in its Community Science program, told the teens in its Youth Exploring Science program that their participation is on hold, and abruptly canceled its annual Community STEM Showcase, held each Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Nicole Adewale, a former science center trustee and longtime community partner to the YES program, volunteered for the program for more than two decades and planned to be a part of this year’s MLK Day event. She only received notification last week that it would not take place.

“This was one of their biggest visit days of the year, “ Adewale says. “Thousands of people come through.” She feels blindsided by the cancellation, saying, “We were just shocked and disappointed to learn that this annual event that we advertised to our network was not going to happen.”

• Lauren Patrick worked for the YES program for 14 years until being terminated in December. She worries about the youth who signed on to the program with the expectation that it ran for four years. “They were anticipating this to be an experience through high school graduation,” she says. “A number of families have reported to me that they feel like they’re in a bind.”

   
• The science center has defended the changes. Read their response in our web story. —S.F.

Read the full story »

Eric Thoelke, left, and Danni Eickenhorst have grave concerns about MoDOT's plans. Photography by Ryan Krull

DEEP DIVE

Midtown businesses push back on MoDOT plan to eliminate Compton interchange

Identifying the worst intersection in the City of St. Louis isn’t a contest. But if it were, the intersection at Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue would surely be a contender. In addition to those two major thoroughfares colliding, traffic spills out from Highway 64/40 right there. There’s the spaceship Starbucks and a Chipotle and a senior living high-rise. There are college students walking around. Panhandlers panhandling. Six lanes converge with a sort of no-man's land at the center. It’s confusing even to locals. It’s terrifying. It’s deadly.

If the Missouri Department of Transportation has their way, it’s going to get a lot busier.

That’s because the agency wants to remove the highway exit at Compton Avenue—just one exit east—and reroute westbound traffic through the intersection at Grand and Forest Park. That means all westbound travelers leaving Midtown (Energizer Park, Chaifetz Arena) will also get shunted to Grand and Forest Park.

Go Deeper: MoDOT presented the plans to Midtown residents and business owners on Tuesday and set off an uproar. Under the current plans, says Danni Eickenhorst, co-owner of the Fountain on Locust, “Midtown, City Commons, and Grand Center will be choked out.”

And while the plan for the Compton interchange would be permanent, it’s being planned for the same time when MoDOT is also replacing a quarter-mile swath of eastbound Highway 40 going over Vandeventer, near IKEA, and the city is replacing the Compton Avenue bridge. The projects collectively could have a massive impact on traffic in the heart of the central corridor. Asks Eickenhorst: “What we've been asking this whole time is, why is this all happening at once?”

What’s Next: At Tuesday’s meeting, MoDOT district engineer Tom Blair told the crowd in response to pointed questions, “I hear you, and the team's gonna look into restoring Compton, no commitment that will happen, but we’ll look into it as seriously as we possibly can.” —Ryan Krull 

Read the full story » 

A MESSAGE FROM MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

You’ve never had T-ravs like these

T-ravs, but make it cheffy. STL’s best chefs are reinventing toasted ravioli with creative fillings and surprising flavors. Don’t miss this party showcasing our city’s diverse cuisine and culinary talent.

Reserve Your Spot »

Today's Top Stories

• City moves to use eminent domain on Paul McKee’s land near NGA campus (stltoday): The city says it’s seeking to seize 90 parcels after negotiations broke down, with hopes that private developers will then take the lead on future use.
  
  
• Saint Louis University to offer free tuition for low-income students (SLU press release): The four-year program is for families with a combined Adjusted Gross Income of $60,000 or less and limited assets, beginning this fall.
  
  
• Officials mull turning South County Center into a youth sports complex (St. Louis Business Journal): The St. Louis County Council passed a resolution in December supporting the idea of Explore St. Louis funding a feasibility study to examine converting the mall into a sports facility—possibly two ice rinks. Councilman Mike Archer says mall owner CBL Properties is interested.

Around Town

☕ THE POLITICAL TEA

At Mayor Cara Spencer's press conference yesterday, the issue of shelter for St. Louis’ homeless residents ran headfirst into the thorny question of who qualifies as a journalist. A group of homeless people and advocates held a protest in the hallways just outside the mayor’s office with a bullhorn, shouting, "Shame on Cara” and “Don’t let the homeless freeze." The half-dozen protesters had been egged on by newsman-turned-social-media influencer Elliott Davis, who the night before posted a viral report about a makeshift structure erected at an encampment near 10th Street and Cass Avenue. The city condemned the structure as a fire trap, though it didn’t kick anyone out. Davis, however, framed the move as Spencer refusing to provide a warming bus (a solution long favored by Davis) while simultaneously taking away refuge. This ignored both the city's roughly 750 available shelter beds and the fact that no one was actually booted from the improvised structure. Still, Davis’ report energized a number of people. The chanting began about halfway through the presser. Afterwards, Prop-Man Johnson, the leader of the group that built the structure, met with both Spencer and chief operating officer Col. Ben Jonsson. The dialogue was described as productive. 

Press conferences like yesterday’s suggest Davis, who’s become a thorn in Spencer’s side, is evermore nudging the line between watchdog and outright advocacy. But Davis wasn’t the only quasi-journalist in attendance. A self-described contractor arrived with a camera, and when called on, told Spencer what a good job she was doing. Meanwhile, outside Room 200, the protesters groused about Spencer. One of them claimed the mayor was “best friends” with Paul McKee, the slumlord whose properties the city is attempting to seize, which was supposed to have been the topic of the day. —R.K.

📮 POSTCARD FROM ST. CHARLES

One week after residents packed St. Charles City Hall to express frustrations over a potential tourism and event shake-up, Mayor Dan Borgmeyer on Tuesday unveiled a proposed restructuring of the city’s communications, events, and tourism functions. But during the city council’s work session, which was moved to the St. Charles Convention Center due to heightened interest, Borgmeyer stopped short of easing the ongoing concerns.

The embattled mayor recommended splitting St. Charles’ existing Special Events and Communications Department into two divisions and said key event decisions should be deferred to newly hired directors, including a Convention & Visitors Bureau director to be recruited nationally. The mayor, however, declined to guarantee that signature CVB events such as Christmas Traditions, Legends & Lanterns, and Once Upon a Valentine will remain under the bureau beyond 2026, prompting pointed questions from council members, who said the uncertainty is eroding public trust. “Right now, I think we have a problem with trust and transparency,” Ward 3 Councilman Vince Ratchford said. “So you can’t say that in 2026 those three events will happen, and they will happen under the direction of the CVB?” Borgmeyer responded: “The anticipation is they will continue as they are. But you all said, ‘Hire top professionals and let them tell us what to do.’ Well, if the top professional comes in and wants to make changes, are we going to say, ‘No, you can’t do that?’ I’m leaving the door completely open. Create the three departments and let these professionals dictate what goes where.'” —Mike Miller

NEWSLETTERS

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Heard on the Street

• Headed for Sundance: Chasing Summer. The film brought a host of stars to St. Louis last summer, including Megan Mullally, Lola Tung, and Tom Welling. Now it’s set to be featured in the nation’s preeminent film fest. Congrats to writer Iliza Schlesinger and director Josephine Decker, whom we officially claim as honorary St. Louisans.
  
  
• In the hot seat: Former Saint Louis University basketball player Bradley Ezewiro, one of a dozen-plus NCAA players facing federal charges in a point-shaving scandal.
  
  
• Winning: A whole bunch of you! Our first sweepstakes led to five lucky readers winning St. Louis Daily coffee mugs from SLM’s new merch store. Congrats to Cynthia Todd, Kim Westerman, Ainsley Worthley, Daria Winker, and Valerie Jagiela. The rest of y'all? Better luck next time.

 💬 Got a milestone to celebrate or gossip to share? Email sfenske@stlmag.com.

Quick Hits 

Veg out: Chef Natasha Kwan’s 6 tips for going vegetarian
Oops: Candidate faces charges for stealing from Boy Scouts
Wheels, gears, & confidence: Skate St. Louis is expanding
Foot in mouth: Folksy MO appointee sets off internat’l firestorm

📸 GAME TIME

Where In The Lou?

Think you know St. Louis? Well, where in the Lou did Director of Games Henry Coen take this photo? Each week, we’ll share an image, and if you click the link, you can mark your best guess on our interactive map. Save your guess to our leaderboard for a chance to compete for prizes. 

Last week’s photo showed the intersection of Leona and Bates in South City, which a whole lot of you already knew! Congratulations to these Daily readers, all of whom notched perfect scores: Dan Vomund, Brett Schott, Susan Szerzinski, Tucker Bush-Kaufman, Sean Belt, Steve Butz, Andrea Johnson, Ron Crooks, Joe Monahan, Nick McClane, Michael Dauphin, Tommy Nagel, Marty Koenig, David Custis, Sarah Fentem, Paul Sableman, Robert Diesbach, Alec Macko, Angie Butz, Ciara Fornicola, Rose Nester, Ted Yemm, Richard H, and Ann E. Check back next Friday to see who gets today right.

SOUNDBITE

“Families who need jobs don’t care whether that job is in the city or the county.”

—Greater St. Louis Inc. CEO Ron Kitchens, speaking on The 314 Podcast on why geographic boundaries matter far less than economic opportunity.

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