A pet paradise on Broadway

Bubbles is in a mood.

The 3-1/2-foot macaw parrot is rolling its beady eyes, biting at its cage and even trying to bite a sandy-haired business reporter who is trying to be his friend.

Even a tasty peanut won't placate this particular parrot.

"He's always in a mood," says Gino Wells, animal lover and soon-to-be entrant into the interesting world of pet-store owners.

I knew I wouldn't fork over $1,700 for that ill-tempered bird. I don't care if the cage is thrown in or not.

Wells and his partner, Joseph Sauceda, are about to open G&S Pet Paradise at 817 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, the former spot of the also alphabetical A&S Tropical Fish.

The two, both from Sikeston, Mo., became aware of A&S as "hobby fish breeders," where they helped spawn African cichlids, what Wells calls "the most gorgeous, freshwater tropical fish" in the world.

So when they heard A&S was closing, they decided to open a new pet store there, one that maybe had a wider array of pets. They are targeting Friday as an opening date and rent the space from building owner Dewey Adams.

The store will feature several kinds of pets, from tropical fish to exotic birds to common birds. It will also offer feed, care books and aquarium decorations -- he already has ceramic skulls and alligator heads lining a couple of the somewhat creepy shelves. In fact, there are 105 tanks full of 60 kinds of fish.

They also will have rats and mice (snake food), small rabbits (snake food, too!), guinea pigs, reptiles and gerbils. He even has a Russian tortoise. (I didn't ask if his name was Comrade.)

As for Bubbles, Wells says he suspects it will be difficult to sell such a spiteful bird. He doesn't mind, though. He considers him more of a mascot.

"If somebody buys him, great," he said. "But if they don't, Bubbles is more than welcome to stay."

Take my advice: Don't get your finger too close to the cage.

* Coldwater Creek coming to Cape: Midamerica Hotels Corp. has leased a 5,440-square-foot space in its developing Park West Centre to Coldwater Creek, a national brand of women's apparel and accessories, according to Bob Hahn, vice president of development.

The store will adjoin the Talbot's store, which opened Aug. 4. The strip mall also currently includes The Honey Baked Ham Store and Cafe, which opened June 14. The center building is complete, and the Coldwater Creek storefront is currently under construction. The interior build out was scheduled to begin last week. Coldwater Creek plans to open in early October.

The 18,000-square-foot "Life Style Center" is a part of the emerging hospitality center at the corner of William Street and Mount Auburn Road. The Midamerica Hotels development currently includes the Holiday Inn Express, Victorian Inn, Red Lobster, Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Panera Bread, a Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurant, now under construction, and the Plaza Conference Center. The center has additional space, and Midamerica is currently working with other potential tenants.

"The company has been working with Coldwater Creek for about six months, and we are happy to include them as tenants," Hahn said.

* House project: Developer Kenny Pincksten of Cape Girardeau has mostly done single-house projects, but he's working on two larger projects that will appeal to downtown observers and those who wish their house looked like the 1950s on the inside but 2006 on the outside.

First off, Pincksten has nearly completed some renovation work at a building, built circa 1850, at 120 Broadway. In the past, it's been a residence, a candle shop and the corporate offices of Midwest Energy.

Pincksten bought the 2 1/2-story, 2,600-square-foot building in May, with plans to renovate it and lease it out.

"It's a pretty hot area," he said. "It's in demand for commercial, but I think it's more in demand for residential. More and more people are wanting to live downtown."

Remodeling work, including paint, new drywall and carpeting, is nearly complete. Interest has been shown from various individuals, including people wanting to put in a martini bar -- LoDo's? -- and a wine shop. But more people are interested so far, he said, in making it a residence.

Meanwhile, if you've noticed some dirt work near the corner of Lexington Avenue and Abbey Road, Pincksten's behind that as well. He's working on another project -- a 20-home subdivision of new houses that will look like they're from the 1940s and '50s on the outside, including white picket fences, big front porches and porch swings.

But the insides will include all the modern comforts.

"People love old houses, but they're money pits," he said. "They have old furnishings, and most of the time there's little or no insulation."

These homes would look like the picturesque homes -- white picket fences and screened-in porches with porch swings of course -- but would have all the modern conveniences of home. The houses will be one to 1 1/2 stories, have three bedrooms and will range from $225,000 to $300,000 apiece.

* Last Call: If you've driven down Broadway, perhaps you've seen the sign: The Last Call, Opening Soon.

I first wrote about the new bar at 632 Broadway in June. Owner Tim Schloss of St. Louis updated me last week, saying the opening is still four to six weeks away. Crews are still hard at work cleaning up the former Players Bar, which he said was "just filthy."

"We just put the sign up for the college kids, to let them know what's going on," he said. "We have a lot of cleaning left to do."

Paint is also going up and new glass in the windows was expected to be installed by late last week.

Schloss didn't want to share too many details about what the new bar will look like. He wants customers to see for themselves.

"I'm trying to spring it on everybody when we're done with it," he said. "I call it the wow factor. They're used to seeing what used to be there and didn't want to go in it. Then they'll see what's in it and want to come back."

* More ethanol: I've been writing about ethanol a LOT lately. Another ethanol-port connection also came last week when Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., a subsidiary of CGB Enterprises Inc., signed a memorandum of understanding to construct a new ethanol facility in Mount Vernon, Ind., with initial production expected by the end of 2008. That would be the largest ethanol plant in Indiana.

Consolidated Grain has a 350,000-bushel grain elevator at the SEMO Port.

Aventine plans to construct and operate an ethanol facility on a 116-acre site at the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon. The plant will produce 220 million gallons of ethanol a year and will be one of three facilities to be built by Aventine with Delta-T as the technology provider and Kiewit Energy Company as the contractor.

Consolidated Grain and Barge will be the exclusive grain originator and dry distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) export marketer at the facility, as well as the sole provider for ethanol and DDGS loading at the site. CGB will use its approximate 10 million bushel elevator system in the Mount Vernon area to handle grain for the ethanol plant, and will market the DDGS for export to Europe, Japan and Asia.

* AT&T: Did you notice that AT&T sign that replaced the SBC sign at the phone company building on Broadway? Just a reminder that SBC Communications bought AT&T last year for $16 billion and decided to keep the AT&T name. The purchase, by the way, created the largest telecommunications company in the United States.

Scott Moyers is the business editor of the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to "Biz Buzz," 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, or e-mail them to smoyers@semissourian.com or call (573) 335-6611, extension 137.