River Campus under way!

Factoids about the river campus

by Regina Yoast

The river campus will be built on the grounds of old St. Vincent's Seminary. The university plans to use the existing structure for academic classrooms and offices, and plans to build a museum, welcome center, performance and recital halls, extra classrooms an art studios on the property.

The funding to purchase the property came from Cape resident B.W. Harrison. Harrison donated 11,402 shares of Exxon stock in the spring of 1998. The seminary and its grounds sold for $800,000.

The total cost of renovation and new construction for the campus will reach $35.6 million. Of that, $16.55 million will come from the State of Missouri, $8.9 million from the City of cape, and $10.15 million will be raised by Southeast's University Foundation. The Foundation has already raised over $6 million.

The project is expected to seriously impact the community's economy. In addition to the 500 new students it is expected to attract, the project is projected to generate over $400,000 annually in state and local tax revenue and will reportedly create over 100 new jobs and $23 million in annual personal income.

The campus will provide a home and forum for Southeast's interests in art, music, theater and dance. Plays, concerts, art exhibits and dance recitals will among the events featured there.

Cape's downtown area is expected to benefit from the construction. City projects like storm drainage and sewer improvements, as well as private renovations to the surrounding area and increased traffic are expected to up downtown revenue. Fountain Street, which borders the campus, will become a divided street with a decorative median, streetlights and faux brick appearance.

Groundbreaking for the Campus took place May 27. Around 700 people witnessed the ceremony, which featured guests like Governor Bob Holden, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, state Rep. Scott Lipke, state Sen. Peter Kinder, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and many of the donors who made the project possible. Harry and Rosemary Crisp also announced a donation of over $1 million at the affair.

Construction is slated to begin next summer, and the project is expected to be completed in 2006.