Marketplace![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.semissourian.com/images/nameplate.gif)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (4)
It is a simple survey about downtown Cape Girardeau.
"We see, time and again, the importance of having community input in the way we plan our direction and move forward," Mills said. "It has been very successful in the past."
The survey is one piece of Gov. Matt Blunt's Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri, or DREAM, Initiative. Cape Gir?ardeau is among Missouri's first 10 DREAM Initiative cities. Old Town Cape Inc. is managing the DREAM Initiative for the city.
An outside firm designed the survey and will assess the results, which will be made public.
Mills said while typically 10 percent to 20 percent of surveys are returned, she's hoping to see a higher return with this survey.
"We made it as easy, as painless as possible," she said.
Heather Brooks, assistant to Cape Girardeau city manager Doug Leslie, said the survey builds on the results of early focus groups. The 3,000 people getting the postage-paid survey were randomly selected. While individual responses to the survey will be kept confidential, the overall results will be made public. PGAV, a St. Louis consulting firm working for the DREAM Initiative, is coordinating the survey.
Brooks said the survey asks how often individuals visit downtown Cape Girardeau and why they go.
"It asks what they'd like to see added or changed or what improvements they think might be needed, general ideas along that line," Brooks said.
Most questions have simple boxes for checking answers, though some offer an "other" category with a line for suggestions.
The only open-ended question is one asking respondents to suggest other improvements to downtown Cape Girardeau, Brooks said.
"We really do want people to talk this seriously," Brooks said. "We want people to fill this out."
Five, 10 minutes
The survey will arrive on a folded piece of paper, with Old Town Cape and Cape Girardeau city logos.
"It shouldn't take long to fill out, maybe five minutes," Brooks said. "Ten minutes if you get interrupted."
Blunt created the DREAM Initiative in 2006 to help Missouri downtowns navigate various community and economic development assistance programs to transform their downtown areas into centers of job creation.
Mills said the responses will play a valuable role to developing the strategic plan for downtown redevelopment.
"These surveys establish a framework for the future direction and objectives of the three redevelopment zones. We also hope to provide a scientific method for validating or invalidating commonly held perceptions and beliefs about Old Town Cape," said Sallie Hemenway, business and community services director with the Missouri's Department of Economic Development.
"It is extremely important to the city that those being surveyed complete and return their surveys as soon as possible," Mills said.
335-6611, extension 127
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please 
Suggestions: Someday we will welcome OTC to the the 21st century ... that will be when they do an on-line or e-mail survey - I'm not even sure where my mail box is.. I believe it's something people used to use for papered mail..??.. what a waste. Oh .. and get rid of the "old" in old town cape ... please try being "new" with something.
Let's all start an on-line informl survey here. Keep 'em short, meaningful, realistic and relavent... so.. ideas?
OTC certainly could use technology for cheaper and more efficient access to "the broader audience". But in their defense, it MAY be that they receive less response from email surveys than standard mail surveys, which are probably taken a little more seriously. Otherwise OTC is a pretty good organization that does much for older sections of communities. Some side issues however; Beware of "The Devil's Bargain" as Hal Rothman suggested (the idea that coupling history and commerce mutates the true history of the community). Also, imposing historic zoning by a simple majority can easily destroy a community bond, and outright erode individual property rights.
An "outside firm" designed and will assess the results of the survey. Did they not charge the City for this?
duh...if you have been following the stories from the beginning you will find that the state is footing the bill with some firm they hired on statewide basis.