The face of Independence Center is changing

If you've driven past Independence Center in Cape Girardeau lately you may notice it's receiving a face lift.

Property manager Jummie Ready said the 27-unit complex that includes the former Cozmo's building off Independence Street will receive new landscaping and lighting and a new parking lot. Already the brick outer walls of the units have been replaced with stone.

New stores that might move in include a hobby shop, ethnic restaurant, formal men's store and a possible pizza place where Cozmo's was located, though Ready wouldn't divulge the names yet. The former Army Reserve office will soon be a 28,000-square-foot wedding and event center. Scheduled to open in June at 80 Plaza Way, the Venue will feature seating for 1,000, a full kitchen, catering service, gardens and a bar. It can be reached at 225-0944.

Stacy Langston, whose Capaha Decorative Concrete recently opened at 83 Plaza Way, said everyone should be pleased with the new look of Independence Center. Langston's business specializes in decorative countertops and will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Langston said he uses recycled products when possible "because green is good for the environment."

A grand reopening for Independence Center is planned for the summer.

Ready said she receives two to three calls daily from people interested in the development.

"It's a good thing," Ready said. "It shows the city of Cape Girardeau that the economy is not as bad is it's made out to be."

* Cape Girardeau salon and spa sold: After seven years of owning Elements Salon and Spa, Madra Jones has sold the business to Carrie Myers of Bella Salon in Cape Girardeau. Elements Salon and Spa, 2031 Cape LaCroix Road in Cape Girardeau, will maintain the same name, phone number, website and location. Jones told me all gift certificates from Elements Salon and Spa are still valid.

Bella Salon will close at 20 N. Pacific St. and its five staff members will relocate May 1 to Elements Salon and Spa.

Jones will remain owner of Elements Boutique, which offers cosmetic and skin care lines such as bareMinerals, Jane Irelade Mineral Cosmetics, smashbox cosmetics and her own signature skin care line Within. The boutique is next to Elements Salon and Spa. Jones also owns an Elements Boutique in Sikeston, Mo.

Bella Salon guests can still schedule appointments by calling 803-0332. Elements Salon and Spa can be reached at 651-4012 or www.elementssalon.net. Elements Boutique can be reached at 339-7207 or www.elementsboutique.com.

* Garber's Men's Wear earns recognition: Garber's Men's Wear has been named a "Partner in Paradise" by sportswear company Tommy Bahama. The recognition is given to the company's top 100 retailers. Owners Rodney and Dimple Bridges said the distinction is based on their commitment and tenure with Tommy Bahama. Garber's brought the Tommy Bahama line to Cape Girardeau in 1993.

Garber's Men's Wear is at 2110 Town Plaza and can be reached at 335-2837.

* Alternative farmers market opens: Another sign that the summer months are approaching is Wednesday's opening of the Cape Alternative Farmers Market. The market offers fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, eggs and fresh baked goods from Missouri's farmers. Other items for sale include handcrafted goat milk soap, hand-thrown pottery and hand-spun wool items. New items will be added each week. The action begins at 8 a.m. and wraps up at noon in Shelter No. 1 in Capaha Park.

* AT&T announces wireless expansion plans for Missouri: AT&T announced last week that it plans to expand wireless service. The move will expand its mobile broadband network to Cape Girardeau. The company also announced the enhancement of wireless service on 50 existing cell sites to Cape Girardeau and Scott counties. Communities including Delta, Oak Ridge, Old Appleton, Benton, Patton, Frohna and Altenburg will receive network upgrades that will allow high-speed Internet capability.

Company spokeswoman Chelsey Ilten-Watts said the expanded network should be up and running in Cape Girardeau by the summer and the enhancement of service on the 50 existing cell sites and addition of high-speed Internet capability will be complete by the end of the year.

She said AT&T's U-verse services -- packaged bundles of TV, high-speed Internet, telephone and wireless services -- are not planned for launch in Cape Girardeau at this time.

In early March, competitor Big River Telephone announced plans to expand its broadband service to eight counties in the area if the company receives funding from the $7.2 billion broadband expansion act.

* Insurance agent expands services: Allstate insurance agent Jeff Owens has extended his insurance services to residents in Sikeston, Mo. The agency, at 107 W. Center St., Suite B, can be reached at 573-472-5900. Owens serves residents throughout Southeast Missouri and owns and operates offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

* More on last week's Procter & Gamble article: Since moving to Southeast Missouri I've learned a few important details, one being the way many people and businesses are connected to Procter & Gamble. But a caller left a message of one man's efforts to bring the manufacturer to the area. According to a Feb. 17, 1968, Southeast Missourian article, real estate agent Thomas L. Meyer was "active in the efforts which led to Procter & Gamble's announcement that it will build a paper products plant on a 1,250-acre site north of Trail of Tears Park." The article noted that the company employed 300 people at first, a far cry from the 1,200 that now work at the plant.

Business editor Brian Blackwell may be reached at 388-3628 or bblackwell@semissourian.com.;