Blanks plan new developments to revitalize historic Cape Girardeau neighborhood

A Cape Girardeau couple is about to break ground on an endeavor to redevelop a long-neglected part of the city’s historic downtown.

Scott Blank and his wife, Lisa, own Bi-State Oil Co. in Cape Girardeau, operating a pair of Southern Convenience stores and gas stations in the city. Both are Southeast Missouri State University graduates, and Scott Blank’s family has a long history in a section of southeastern Cape Girardeau known as the Haarig Commercial District.

The Haarig district is bounded by Pacific Street to the west, William Street to the north, College Street to the south and the Mississippi River to the east. It acted a cultural and economic hub for primarily German immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the city expanded westward, businesses and residents moved west, too, and the district became less prominent and more dilapidated.

The Blanks, working in conjunction with the City of Cape Girardeau, aim to change that by redeveloping the area Scott Blank once called home.

In 1935, his maternal grandparents, Clyde and Lila Foeste, purchased a home at 334 Morgan Oak St. and began selling gasoline from it. Some eight years later, they moved their operation down the street to 400 Morgan Oak St. There, the couple opened a combination gas station, restaurant and garage. The Bi-State Oil website writes that celebrities, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, visited the establishment. Scott Blank’s mother grew up in the neighborhood, and he often spent time there in his childhood.

That family history is part of what led the Blanks to want to redevelop southeastern Cape Girardeau. Beyond that, it was an important part of the city for many residents in the past.

“The area has so much history and was once a thriving area of Cape Girardeau with grocery, banking, bakeries, drug stores, restaurants, bars, hardware and various other retail shops. It was sort of its own city within the city,” Blank said in an email to the Southeast Missourian.

A section of the district on the east side of the intersection between Good Hope Street and South Sprigg Street was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 2000.

Modern developments

The largest redevelopment in the district in the 21st century was the purchase, construction and opening of SEMO’s River Campus, home to its Earl and Margie Holland College of Arts and Media. The campus opened its doors in 2007. Blank intends for the River Campus to be an anchor for the coming redevelopment district. He and his wife have already renovated various buildings in the Haarig Commercial District for student use: River Campus Arts Complex and Marching Band Annex. Their next goal is to develop additional properties and restore the district to its former glory.

“Our hope and goal would be to do development around the River Campus that compliments the River Campus. What I mean by this, is not just doing a development for the sake of development, but add development that complements the efforts of the River Campus to attract more students and establish an area around the River Campus where graduates want to stay and remain residents of Cape Girardeau and Missouri,” Blank said of his development plans.

He envisions a Haarig district filled with gallery spaces, independent retail businesses and a mix of apartments, townhomes, mixed-use spaces and single-family dwellings for residency options. He said he aims to target small business owners, artists and River Campus students as potential retailers and residents.

The focal point of the renovations is a police substation in the works for 629 Good Hope St., a property the Blanks already own. This facility will be named after Willis A. Martin, a night policeman slain in the line of duty in that very building on Feb. 27, 1921. Blank said it will be designed to feature a community room to host training and for officers to meet with the public. Groundbreaking is planned for late July 2024.

Blank said he and his wife are partnering with the City of Cape Girardeau to create the facility and specifically thanked chief of police Wes Blair and city manager Kenneth Haskin in helping to promote it. The couple entered into a lease agreement with the city where the Blanks handle the build-out for the property and then lease it back to the city for $1 per month.

“It was important to Lisa and I for this not to be a burden on the City financially but instead serve as a facility that will allow the police department to return to community policing and connect more with area residents,” Blank said. “… This is a great example of how public and private investments can come together to help a community.”

Future plans

The City of Cape Girardeau will be responsible for staffing and facility operations, as well as potential street improvements and utility upgrades.

“We feel that satisfying safety and security concerns will allow for the return of commercial and residential development while assisting in the further enrollment growth at the River Campus for the University,” Scott Blank said.

After the substation is complete, he and his wife plan to start constructing a property in the 300 block of South Sprigg Street to establish a trio of rental spaces.

“Our hopes are for artisan gallery space in these, but we will have to see what the demand is. We would like to see more private investment in this area as well,” he added.

The City would most likely commence street and sidewalk repairs in the Haarig district sometime in the summer, Blank said.

The Blanks have worked with a St. Louis architectural firm, The Lawrence Group, for several years to design both the police station and a master plan for the neighborhood. Blank said much of the funding will come from private investment, though his family’s projects are so far the only ones he mentioned with concrete plans for district. He said he’s aware the redevelopment of the Haarig Commercial District could take a while, but he’s willing to wait for a positive outcome.

“We understand that this kind of undertaking is going to take time to develop, but we are dedicated and invested to see this area return. It is going to be exciting to see it develop over time,” he said.

The project may be in line for help from state government.

During the proposed 2025 state budget sent to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s desk, $11 million was allocated to aid in the Haarig Commercial District’s redevelopment. However, Parson said he plans to veto several items on the budget. There are around 450 more items on the spending plan than what he recommended for the budget in January.