New strip mall coming to Jackson

Construction has already started on developer Chad Hartle's new Jackson strip mall on East Jackson Boulevard between Wendy's and the Super Wal-Mart.

At first, it will be home to Hartle's businesses. Later he will add office and retail space. Hartle is currently negotiating with several retail businesses and professional offices interested in going into the strip mall that will be built in phases on the prime retail space.

Hartle owns 11 acres of property there, and the first phase -- now under construction by Drury -- will be about 9,000 square feet, Hartle said. The total building, when finished, will be 28,000 square feet.

The first phase, to be finished in August, will be home to Hartle Management, which owns 700 apartments. Hartle will also locate his other businesses there: Lakenam Insurance Agency and a Cash Depot, which is a payday loan business. Sometime in August, Odie Lingle will move his H&R Block office to the strip mall, Hartle said.

There is room for six to seven other businesses, depending upon what size they need.

"Mainly, I'm marketing them toward professional offices and retail," Hartle said. "Lawyers, accountants, people like that. All kinds of retail businesses would do well in a development like this."

Sweeney takes off-air role

On-air reporter and weekend anchor Kathy Sweeney has been promoted to assistant news director at KFVS-12, according to the station's general manager, Mike Smythe. That means she has been seen on the air quite a bit less since making that move, he said.

"She is missed, but it is a choice on her part," Smythe said. "She is an exceptionally talented young lady. She's a newsperson's newsperson."

Sweeney is in charge of the day-to-day activities within the newsroom, Smythe said, monitoring reporters and overseeing some assignment duties.

"She was a very big draw for our weekend news, but this was a good career move on her part," he said.

In the meantime, Arnold Wyrick, who works at the station's Carbondale, Ill., bureau, has been commuting to Cape Girardeau to fill in. Smythe said there is a search for a replacement for Sweeney's on-air duties.

"Somewhere down the road, Kathy will be a news director and a real good one," Smythe said.

More Jackson retail space

New developers Kurt May and Keith Holloway have finished their work on commercial lots that could be home to future restaurants, retail businesses and offices in Jackson.

Holloway tells me the lots are on Highway D and are adjacent to the Elks Lodge and McCombs Funeral Home across from the city park. May owns Corporate Benefit Strategies in Cape Girardeau, which works with employee benefits. Holloway's business is Professional Packaging, a regional pallet provider.

Eight lots are there, and seven are for sale. One is under contract, but Holloway said he's not ready to say who it is. The other offices are up for grabs.

"We envision professional offices, possibly restaurants and that type of light commercial," Holloway said.

Their new development company is called Diamond K Development, LLC.

Sunbelt Credit open

Cape Girardeau's newest consumer loan company has recently opened in the Crossroads Center at Independence and Kingshighway. Sunbelt Credit, which has headquarters in Spartenburg, S.C., specializes in consumer credit lending.

Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd., handled the lease transaction for Rock and Judy Wilferth, owners of the Crossroads Shopping Center. The 1,060-square-foot office space was formerly occupied by Tele-Touch Communications, which recently relocated.

Kelsey said Sunbelt has several Missouri offices, including in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, Springfield, Sedalia, St. Peters and Jefferson City. The new Cape Girardeau office will cover Southeast Missouri.

Cafe Mane delay

Christo Chriss had hoped that Cafe Mane Street would be open in Jackson soon. It probably won't be -- at least not soon.

"It's taking longer than we originally thought," Chriss said last week. "It's taken five times longer than we expected."

They are doing a considerable amount of work on the 100-year-old building at 131 W. Main, and it's just not happening as quickly as Chriss hoped.

Asked if it would be open in a matter of weeks, he said, "It's going to be longer than that." He said he didn't want to make an estimation about when the American-style cuisine restaurant may open.

Goodbye, Pam

Those who deal quite a bit with Pam Cook in the Cape Girardeau business license office were saddened last week to hear she was leaving that job. She told me she wants to focus more on the business she owns with her husband, the Lil' Country Store on Highway 177. She made doing this column so easy, not minding -- or at least acting like she didn't -- that I bugged her two or three times a week for names and numbers of new business owners. She was great.

I've also been told from other business owners that she epitomized professionalism and usually had a cheerful smile. She will be missed.

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