BOARD CONSIDERS PRESERVATION OF RIVER CAMPUS

The new River Campus could preserve the heritage of old St. Vincent's Seminary by establishing a center for Catholic studies, two members of the River Campus Board of Managers suggested Wednesday.

The suggestion was made at the first meeting of the six-member board, which recently was established by the Cape Girardeau City Council and Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents.

Board member Jerry Ford, a local musician and lobbyist, said the university could establish a center for Vincentian studies, the Catholic order that operated the seminary for more than a century.

Ford said the university needs to preserve the history of the seminary. "It is the oldest campus in the state of Missouri," he said.

Both Ford and board member Thomas Swyane Bird, a Charleston architect, suggested exterior lights should be installed to illuminate the white-cross-topped tower at night.

Ford said it is in keeping with the university's alma mater, which talks about Southeast being "a beacon light to all below."

"I think it would be inspiring," said Ford, who doesn't think the cross should raise any separation-of-church-and-state issue.

Ford said the idea is to light the tower, not just the cross. "So there is a cross there. So what?"

Bird said he hopes the university won't take down the cross.

School officials said no decision has been made on the issue.

Southeast President Dr. Ken Dobbins didn't attend the meeting. Interviewed later, Dobbins said the River Campus should provide some information on the history of the former seminary. The history of the site could be housed in the museum, he said.

"It seems logical if you keep a historic building, you want to tell the history about it," said Dobbins.

Current plans call for building a museum on the seminary grounds, but no decision has been made as to what would be displayed.

Bird said he would like to see the museum house some of the collection of art owned by the Vincentian order in Perryville. The museum also could house touring exhibitions of art, he said.

Bird, who regularly talks with the St. Louis architects who have done the preliminary design work, said the museum may be built to the north and west of where it was originally proposed.

The first floor of the museum may be built into the ground so the building won't block the view of the 156-year-old seminary building.

"The location of the museum is a question mark," said board member Pauline Fox, vice president for administration and enrollment management at Southeast.

Board member Dennis Vollink, president of Drury Southwest Development, said the River Campus museum should be more than just a university art museum. Vollink suggested the museum could include space for a tourism and visitors' center.

University officials have talked of spending $36 million to develop the River Campus. But Vollink and Ford said the project should be scrutinized to see if it can be built for less. "If it can be done for less, we should do it," said Ford.

He questioned if the seminary site has sufficient parking. Current plans call for construction of about 350 parking spaces. Ford suggested that would be inadequate to serve the proposed 1,000-seat performance hall.

But board Chairman Jerrianne Wyman said the architects have indicated that each car arriving for a show would carry about three people, on average.

Bird said the university will need 75 to 100 parking spaces for faculty and students for night classes.

Dobbins later said the university owns a small tract of land immediately west of the seminary grounds that could be used for parking.

Dobbins said an underground parking garage could be built there, allowing the university to take advantage of the topography.

The university plans to hire an architectural firm and a construction manager. The Board of Regents is expected at its meeting next Wednesday to authorize the university to request proposals, the first step in the hiring process.

Dobbins said architectural and construction management contracts could be awarded as early as December.

The Board of Managers will have input into the final design. Final design approval rests with the Board of Regents and the City Council, Dobbins said.