Today's newsletter covers lawsuits facing a closed St. Louis hospital, vendor claims totaling millions of dollars, and the city's interest in redeveloping the former site. Stay informed about major developments that impact the area.

MAIN STORY

Hospital Faces Creditor Lawsuits

Multiple vendors are suing the defunct Homer G. Phillips Hospital Inc., seeking to recoup millions of dollars in unpaid bills following its closure in December 2022. The largest lawsuit, filed by Vituity, seeks nearly $2.8 million for staffing the now-shuttered 15-bed emergency clinic north of downtown St. Louis.

Additional plaintiffs include SSM HealthCare, Clinical Radiologists P.C., and Medline Industries, with claims ranging from $52,000 to nearly $230,000. The hospital’s tumultuous closure followed years of stalled redevelopment efforts led by developer Paul McKee. Court documents detail tense encounters, with at least one former hospital director disputing events described by process servers. The lawsuits only name the now-dissolved hospital corporation as the defendant.

AROUND TOWN

Mayoral candidate John Law has raised more than $599,000, doubling the combined totals of rivals Joe Elam and Bill Eigel. Law’s fundraising includes a $25,000 contribution from Anandukmar Patel, known for a $100 million sports center proposal in O’Fallon, and donations from local law enforcement leaders. While Eigel, previously part of the conservative Freedom Caucus, emphasizes his outsider status and has raised over $194,000, only 3 percent of the funds come from the St. Louis area. Elam, with $50,000, asserts that name recognition reduces his funding needs. The race, expected to feature more than $2 million in total contributions, highlights contrasting fundraising sources and campaign strategies as St. Charles County faces changing development prospects. For more details, see this campaign finance breakdown.

Multiple new restaurants, shops, and business concepts launched or closed across St. Louis in July. Notable openings include Chipotle Mexican Grill in Lake St. Louis with a drive-thru, Fordo’s Killer Pizza in The Grove, and Outpost Coffee in Central West End. Closures include Sonny’s Pizza Den in Maryland Heights and Saint Louis Hop Shop on Cherokee Street. Save A Lot y Mas, targeting Hispanic consumers, opened in Overland. See full details of openings and closings or email announcements to reporter Hannah Wyman.

A resurfacing project in the Patch neighborhood’s “Ivory Triangle” will transform local traffic patterns and add a pedestrian plaza. The confusing intersection at Ivory, Virginia, and Schirmer streets will undergo street closures for construction, in response to a city study that found over a dozen crashes from 2020 to 2024 and that two-thirds of drivers ignore stop signs. Business owners and Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer support the initiative, which aligns with the city’s forthcoming Transportation and Mobility Plan, St. Louis’ first comprehensive mobility strategy since 1948.

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El Burro Loco Shutters amid Tax Issues

El Burro Loco, a well-known Mexican restaurant in the Central West End, has closed its doors and owes over $350,000 in unpaid sales taxes. The restaurant, located at 313 North Euclid Avenue, had been locked during regular hours since last week.

Multiple lawsuits filed in April reveal that the business owes $358,257 in taxes for the period from 2018 to 2021. Neighbors report the closure comes about a year after its downtown sister location closed for similar reasons. The owners have not confirmed whether the closure is permanent. Read more on tax liens and local business closures.

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East St. Louis MetroBus Stop Set for Upgrade

Citizens for Modern Transit, AARP in St. Louis, and the St. Clair County Transit District have selected MetroBus Stop #13101 in East St. Louis as the site for their next Transit Stop Transformation Project. Construction is set to begin following public input and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026.

Residents and riders can shape the final design by completing an online survey by August 30, 2025. This will be the fifth such project in St. Clair County. More than $35 million in additional development is planned near transformed sites, reflecting the project’s impact on local communities. Read more about the selection and process.

QUICK HITS

Eckert’s Farm in Belleville will open its two-acre sunflower field Saturday, July 26, with sunflower festival events and photo opportunities continuing through Aug. 3 and additional dates to be announced.

New Jewish Theatre’s production of “Two Jews Walk Into a War…” explores the dynamic between Afghanistan’s last two Jews as they quarrel, cooperate, and confront their uncertain future within a Kabul synagogue.

MindsEye brought the 49th Beep Baseball World Series to Illinois, featuring 19 visually impaired and blind teams—including one from Taiwan—with players using beeping balls and blindfolds to ensure fair play.

New federal Medicaid work requirements could cause Missouri to lose coverage for an estimated 130,000 people, require double eligibility checks, and strain the state's administrative systems, according to local advocates and policy experts.

Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 retirees are restoring a 1:20-scale model of the SS Admiral steamboat, which will be displayed at the National Museum of Transportation starting in March 2026 as part of Route 66’s centennial exhibit.