DOWNTOWN CAPE GIRARDEAU AREA 'LOOKING GOOD'

"The downtown area is looking good. We're looking forward to our new operation here."

Carol Schwettman is one of the latest newcomers to the business world of downtown Cape Girardeau, and she likes what she sees.

Schwettman is in the process of moving her two businesses, Carol-Cyn's Fashions and Carol's Closet & Consignment, to 19 N. Main.

Schwettman hopes to open her new store in early September.

The downtown area is a beehive of activity these days.

And instrumental in the new look are 75 new banners. The banners feature drawings of the Common Pleas Courthouse and a riverboat and denote the area as a "Historic Riverfront District."

Two more new downtown businesses are scheduled for opening within the next month.

-- Rufus Mudsucker's, a restaurant that features deli-type sandwiches and salads, will open in the building that housed Papa Bears at Main and Independence.

"We hope to open within two weeks," said Phil Brinson, who also owns Jeremiah's Restaurant at Sikeston,

Complete remodeling of the interior and exterior have been under way the past month.

-- A Step Back in Time, an antique shop, soda shop and pizza restaurant could be open within a month.

"We'll serve malts, sodas and ice cream from an antique soda fountain," said Leland Rainbolt. Rainbolt and his wife, Margaret, previously operated an antique shop and restaurant at Eminence. "We think the downtown Cape Girardeau area will be great for our type of business."

Three antique and-or collectible operations are already in the downtown area -- Madder Rose Antique Mall, at Main and Independence, Golden Goose Antiques and Collectibles at 2 N. Lorimier and B&M Collectibles at 109 Independence.

Also open are some corporate offices of Capaha Bank at 1 S. Main, in the former Plaza Tire Building.

Following a remodeling project, the building houses bank offices, Benchmark Construction offices and the Plant Lady.

An existing business, In the Wine Cellar, 31 N. Main, is planning an expansion on its inventory of wines, cheese, breads and gourmet foods. The business will expand into "next-door" space and will include tables and chairs for happy hour activities.,

Another recent downtown venture is that of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, which moved its Gallery 100 facility to a former art gallery at the southeast corner of Spanish and Independence streets.

The structure previously housed a gallery owned by Cape Girardeau architect and artist John Boardman and his wife, Evelyn. The building also served as home to an antique gallery and most recently a dancing studio.

Catching up:

Auburn Place business

Auburn Park Place, the new high-rise office and retail complex near Auburn Road and William near West Park Mall, has its first occupant.

Elan Day Spa and Esthetic Centre opens in the new building Thursday.

Elan Day Spa and Esthetic Centre, owned by Drs. Tom Critchlow, David M. Deisher and Jan Seabaugh, will hold its grand opening Sept. 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m..

The spa complex offers services in body care, facial care, massage and style. Also available at the business are salon services and outpatient cosmetic procedures.

Staff members include Critchlow, Deisher and Seabaugh; hair designers Janet Kluesner, Cathy Farrenburg, Christy Palen, Joellen Kessler; nail technician Cindy Henson; estheticians Karen Oliver and Kim Ewell; massage therapists Laura Pridemore, Thad Schwelpker and Wendy Nenninger; receptionists Candiss Brewer and Angie Heizer; and Mary Bronaugh, who will be spa and center manager.

Plant open house

S&W Cabinets, founded at Chaffee in the mid-1950s as a two-man operation producing cabinets for new and remodeled homes, recently conducted an open house at its newest facility.

The new plant, which opened in Chaffee's Industrial Park, 490 Cummins Drive, in January, produces commercial cabinets. Residential cabinets are still manufactured at the original plant, 3319 state Highway M.

The commercial division is a new division of S&W Cabinets, which manufactures custom-built cabinets. Company officials say the demand for commercial cabinets has grown in recent years. A new plant was necessary to keep up with the orders."

S&W Cabinet was founded by Gregory Westrich and Marcus Seyer in 1954. Current owners are Steve Seyer, Richard Seyer and Rodger Seyer.

Rodger Seyer is in charge of the residential cabinet production, and Steve Seyer is active in the commercial production. Richard Seyer serves as shop foreman.

Nash Road business

FMC Transport Inc. is the latest business in the Nash Road area.

The petroleum-hauling company recently opened a new terminal at 3180 Nash Road East.

FMC, headquartered at Willow Springs and owned by David Montgomery, has operated in the area a number of years.

Don Cecil is manager of the new Cape Girardeau terminal.

`Beige Book' report

The U.S. economic growth slowed during the April-May-June quarter, but most contacts throughout the Eighth Federal Reserve District are optimistic about economic prospects or the near future.

Economic activity remains robust throughout the district, said Charles Henderson, who prepares the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank's "Beige Book" for the district. "Contacts are reporting growth in both demand and sales, and expect more of the same."

The "Beige Book" is a six times a year report on economic developments throughout portions of seven states, including Missouri.

The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank has branches in Little Rock, Ark.; Louisville, Ky.; and Memphis, Tenn. The district includes all of Arkansas, Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and Indiana, western Kentucky and Tennessee and northern Mississippi.

The Beige Book, said Henderson, can best be described as a "collection of views compiled from various business and community leaders throughout the district."

It is not an in-depth report, emphasized Elstner, "but it gives a good snapshot of the economy."

Overall, tight labor markets still prevail in the district, and some employers report double-digit increases in health insurance costs for their employees.

Real estate markets, both residential and commercial, remain strong, with sales and prices up.

For contractors, the real estate market is a dream, said Henderson. One contractor remarked that "if you can't make money in today's market as a contractor, you'll never make it."

The furniture and household appliance industries are being carried along with the real estate wave. Demand for high-end furniture has grown, along with the demand for refrigerators.

Agriculture row crops are reported in good condition in most areas, although some nonirrigated crops in the southern part of the district recently deteriorated because of sparse rainfall and hot temperatures.

Overall though, the hot and dry weather throughout most of the district has not harmed the crops significantly.