Photos by Ella Manthey
St. Louis has produced an abundance of legends, and now, many of those icons are featured throughout the streets of Downtown.
Banners celebrating some of the region’s most influential people are beginning to appear on streetlights Downtown, recognizing the artists, entertainers, business leaders, and civic figures whose work has shaped St. Louis and reached audiences around the world.
The City of Legends program, a collaboration between Greater St. Louis, Inc. and Contemporary Productions, is designed to do more than add color to the streetscape. It aims to remind residents of the region’s accomplishments, introduce visitors to the people behind its cultural legacy, and reinforce a sense of civic pride.
On Wed., Oct. 21, Ron Kitchens, Managing Partner of Greater St. Louis, Inc., and Steve Schankman, founder of Contemporary Productions, celebrated the project with a banner reveal at Market and Tucker. For Kitchens, the initiative reflects two priorities: strengthening Downtown and celebrating the people who make the region exceptional.
“Downtown’s important to us. Celebrating success is important to us,” Kitchens said at an event. “We really need to remind ourselves that we’re a legendary city, and we certainly need to remind visitors that they’re in a place that’s special and that produces incredible men and women who go on to change the world.”
The idea began with a practical question: How could the city’s existing collection of streetlight banners be made more cohesive while creating something meaningful for the community? Kitchens and Schankman discussed how to replace a mismatched assortment of banners, some attractive, others showing their age, with something that would better reflect St. Louis and tell its story.
The partners developed a concept that would turn the Downtown streetscape into a celebration of the region’s accomplishments. A group of more than a dozen community members helped identify potential honorees, with selections spanning business, the arts, sports, entertainment, and civic leadership.
The long-term vision calls for approximately 2,500 banners throughout Downtown St. Louis. Sponsors have committed to supporting about 150 so far, leaving plenty of opportunities for additional businesses and organizations to participate.
Kitchens sees the effort as part of a broader approach to Downtown’s future: one that combines investment, public-private partnerships, and improvements that make the city a place residents can take pride in.
A New Way to Share St. Louis’ Story
For Schankman, the program offers a chance to put the region’s considerable cultural assets in plain sight.
“I love this town, and what we need to do is wake up and realize what makes us so popular,” Schankman said on Wednesday. “There’s not another city in America per capita that has as many legends. There’s gonna be 250 legends, and each legend gets five placements.”
A longtime figure in St. Louis’ entertainment industry, Schankman has spent decades watching the city produce talent with national and international influence. He sees the banners as a way to make that legacy more visible to visitors who may not know the region’s connections to famous figures and to residents who could use a reminder of what their hometown has accomplished.
“This makes people proud,” Schankman says. “How about students coming Downtown, 8 year olds, 10 year olds, 18 year olds, and they see that these people are from out of city. So, what we’re trying to do is put a narrative together about the great people who formed St. Louis.”
Consider the names associated with St. Louis, from Tina Turner and Miles Davis to Michael McDonald. Their work helped shape music far beyond the region, yet their hometown connections may not be obvious to someone walking in Downtown St. Louis for the first time. Schankman hopes the banners will prompt those discoveries.
The program also addresses a physical challenge Downtown: creating a more attractive and unified streetscape. By replacing disparate banners with a coordinated visual identity, organizers hope to make the pedestrian experience more engaging while telling a distinctly St. Louis story.
“The beauty matters,” Kitchens says. “These banners are beautiful, inspirational, and they will remind people every day that St. Louis truly is a legendary city.”
The initiative also aims to recognize the region’s contributions beyond its most famous historical figures. Honorees include people whose work continues to influence St. Louis today, underscoring that the city’s legacy is still being written. Kitchens pointed to Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American, and sportscaster Joe Buck as examples of contemporary figures whose work brings recognition to the region.
The project is designed to be financially self-sustaining: Corporate and organizational sponsors help cover the cost of producing, installing, and maintaining the banners, linking private-sector participation with a public-facing improvement. Sponsors include organizations and companies such as Greater St. Louis, Inc.; KPMG; Stifel; and Edward Jones.
Kitchens is encouraging additional businesses to join the effort, as well as residents to nominate people they believe deserve recognition. The program’s continued growth will depend on community participation, with organizers seeking both financial support and ideas for future honorees.
He described the effort as an example of “community capitalism,” a partnership among philanthropy, government, and the business community to accomplish something that benefits the region.
An Honor That Reflects A Community
Among those recognized in the project is Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American, whose career in journalism and community leadership has made him a prominent figure in the region. Suggs described the recognition as a reflection of St. Louis’ growing appreciation for the people who have contributed to its success, yet accepted the honor with humility.
“I feel way humbled, and of course, I don’t necessarily feel that I deserve that,” Suggs says, “but these are all extraordinary folks who’ve made careers that resonate not just in St. Louis, Missouri, and the United States, but around the world. So it’s a high honor.”
For Suggs, being included alongside internationally recognized entertainers and artists is a significant distinction. But he sees the recognition as part of a larger story about the community that nurtured those achievements. “I think it represents St. Louis coming to appreciate some extraordinary people,” he said.
He described St. Louis as a place with “the bones of a great city,” adding that recognizing its accomplishments can be part of restoring a sense of possibility about its future. That perspective is particularly important for younger residents, who may not fully understand the breadth of talent and achievement connected to their hometown. Suggs hopes the banners will help them recognize that St. Louis has produced extraordinary individuals, and that they are part of that same civic legacy.
The recognition, he says, is not simply about individual accomplishments. Reflecting on his own banner, Suggs credited the colleagues and collaborators who have worked alongside him throughout his career.
“It’s been a pleasure for me to have been able to work with some great folks over the years, not just in journalism, but in the world of art and healthcare, all these areas or St. Louis,” Suggs says.
His banner, in that sense, represents more than one person. It recognizes the broader network of people whose work helps make a city what it is. That collective spirit is central to the program’s mission. By celebrating both historical figures and people making a difference today, City of Legends seeks to connect the region’s past achievements with its present-day contributions and future potential.
“We’re recognizing people who are here today, like Dr. Suggs, like Joe Buck, but we’re also recognizing Michael McDonald, for instance, most famous for being the lead singer of the Doobie Brothers,” Kitchen says. “And that will continue to recognize those who made us great and those who make us great.”
