Creating a 'sustainable future' after the pandemic

I received a note the other day from Richard Proffer of the University of Missouri Extension Service office in Jackson. Richard and I have known each other for 10 or 15 years, dating back to the days when we were both very active in the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), which was commonly referred to back then as the "Tri-State Ad Club."

Richard's role with the extension office is focused on community economic development and he shared some thoughts about how to create a community's "sustainable future" following a pandemic.

"Sustainability," he said, is defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

So how do communities plan for a sustainable future?

"The first step," Richard said, "is to look to the long-term future of 10-to-20 years minimally." The community, he said, needs to look beyond the "short-term trends" and have the support of the public and decision makers when thinking forward and thinking about how to create a sustainable future.

"The next step is to identify community problems and not plan on solving them separately, but rather as a joint effort looking at how each one is related."

This approach, he said, provides the community with the ability to solve issues while creating an atmosphere of interconnectivity where each solution builds on another solution and improves the overall quality of life.

Richard said several factors need to be considered when addressing "sustainability planning" including environment, land use, transportation, housing, economic development and social equity.

"These areas are addressed through increased and continued public participation in local government decisions," he said. "Also, the mindset of 'NIMBY -- not in my backyard' needs to chance so the whole community can work together."

For more information about community economic development strategies in a "post COVID-19" environment, contact Richard at the University of Missouri Extension Service, (573) 243-3581.

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Although it was tentatively scheduled to reopen this week, Saint Francis Healthcare System announced Thursday in a social media post that Fitness Plus will remain closed for now.

"We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the health and wellness of our community," the Facebook post stated. "As our region continues to see an increase in COVID-19 positive cases, we must protect the health and well-being of all who enter our doors, particularly those with an increased risk of infection."

The post went on to say that while it was "previously hoped" Fitness Plus would reopen June 1, "we are taking the necessary time to assess how Fitness Plus can best serve the needs of our members, patients and community in the safest way possible."

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Most of Missouri's 13 casinos -- including Century Casino Cape Girardeau and Century Casino Caruthersville -- will reopen today after closing in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, St. Louis County has not authorized reopening of the two gaming operations in that county -- River City Casino and Hollywood Casino. No word on when those facilities may reopen.

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J.C. Penney is reopening this Wednesday at West Park Mall, but it remains unclear whether several other mall retailers will do the same.

L Brands, which owns Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works and Pink, all of which have outlets at the Cape Girardeau mall, announced plans last month to close 235 of its 909 Victoria's Secret locations in the United States as well as 50 Bath & Body Works stores and three of its 144 Pink outlets.

Other mall tenants continue to open while practicing social distancing and other precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Employees at all mall stores, as well as mall employees, are wearing face masks and encourage mall customers to do the same.

An updated list of mall tenants that have opened, along with their current store hours, can be found at www.shopwestpark.com.

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Meanwhile, we continue to learn of local businesses that have permanently closed thanks, in large part, to the coronavirus outbreak.

As we reported in Thursday's Southeast Missourian that Beef 'O' Brady's closed over the weekend after a 12-year run in Cape Girardeau.

Also in recent weeks, a popular downtown bar, The Pour House, closed its doors for good.

"I'm done," Pour House owner Rodney Pobst told me. Pobst opened The Pour House in 2000 and said COVID-19 wasn't the only reason why he closed the bar, but the virus "pushed it over the top."

Tuesday Morning, which temporarily closed all its 687 outlets during the coronavirus outbreak including its Cape Girardeau location on Siemers Drive, announced last week it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The company, based in Dallas, said the pandemic was a contributing factor in its decision to seek bankruptcy protection and it would close at least 132 stores this summer. However, the Cape Girardeau location is not among the initial list of stores targeted for closure.

According to media reports, as many as 230 Tuesday Morning outlets will be shuttered under the company's reorganization plan.

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The Montgomery Bank branch on South Mount Auburn Road closed Tuesday for precautionary reasons after it was discovered an employee of the branch attended an event a few days earlier at which someone was later determined to have COVID-19, according to Montgomery executive vice president Jim Limbaugh.

The employee was subsequently tested and was quarantined at home pending results of the test. Meanwhile, the bank underwent a detailed disinfecting and sanitizing process.

The bank's drive-through opened Wednesday and as of this week the facility's lobby is once again open.

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