The Downfall of St. Louis' Roberts Brothers?

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently posted an article highlighting the plight of the Roberts Brothers' (Mike and Steve) financial problems with their St. Louis and nationwide businesses. I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Mr. Michael Roberts and take a tour of the Roberts Complex on North Kingshighway a couple of years ago. It was impressive. It also was impressive to me that not only were the Roberts brothers a product of St. Louis City and successful black businessmen, they were also products of Lindenwood. Michael Roberts told me personally that he had been a founding member of the first black student union at Lindenwood.

Because of their foundation in the business atmosphere in St. Louis, it is extremely disappointing to see the financial issues that their enterprise is experiencing. Not only are they being sued by different contractors and such, they are also being sued by banks for defaulting on loans. They have several buildings in the St. Louis area that held great promise, but now sit dormant, such as the Roberts Towers in downtown St. Louis. The article even makes mention of the fact that the Roberts brothers missed one court date for a lawsuit because it coincided with another. That is saddening. One can only hope that the Roberts brothers indeed have a plan like they mentioned in the article, and that it works out for them.