BUSES ROLL: FORMER SITE ON SPRIGG TO BE TEMPORARY STOP

Greyhound buses will again roll into Cape Girardeau Monday, this time using a temporary bus stop at the former Greyhound station at the corner of Themis and Sprigg.

The city has been in and out of bus service for the past several months, as four different stations have operated and closed in less than two years.

The most recent, temporary stop is situated across from Kelley Transportation Co. Nip Kelley last year renovated a vacant building on the site and on Sept. 4, 1990, became the registered Greyhound agent for Cape Girardeau. But that station closed in June.

A month later, Spanky's convenience store at 353 S. Kingshighway, reopened the bus station July 18. Only five days later, Spanky's owner, David Barklage, closed the bus station because the site was improperly zoned.

Since then, the fate of a Cape Girardeau Greyhound station has been in limbo, as city officials and Greyhound have tried to find a permanent site. Greyhound discontinued running buses into the city earlier this month, but contracted with a private limousine service to furnish a shuttle between Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and St. Louis.

Tom Clayton, Greyhound's customer service representative in St. Louis, said Thursday that the bus stop on Sprigg Street isn't ideal.

"It's not going to be a full service bus station, but Mr. Kelley's granted us permission to pull onto his property until we find a permanent location," Clayton said.

"We're continuing to deal with (David) Barklage, who owns the Spanky's on Kingshighway, and with the city's help, we're going to try to obtain a special use permit to use Mr. Barklage's Spanky's as a full-service agency."

Barklage said Thursday that he had not spoken to Clayton recently, and that various options are still being considered.

Kelley said Thursday he agreed to let Greyhound use his lot because the city needs bus service. He said Greyhound approached him last week to see if he still was interested in operating as the city's Greyhound agent.

"I offered them a deal then they turned my deal down," Kelley said. "They asked me at first, when they talked about me becoming an agent again for them, if they could put it on my lot.

"I told them I've got no qualms about that. I want them to provide bus service to the city. The whole thing has been a bad deal for the city.

"I would like to operate it again, but I want a certain commission and they said they can't afford it."

Clayton said Greyhound buses will resume a regular schedule Monday, with southbound buses to Memphis boarding in Cape Girardeau at 11 a.m., 3:50 p.m. and 8:18 p.m. He said north-bound buses to St. Louis will board at 3:48 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 3:20 p.m. and 11:05 p.m.

Clayton said he was optimistic that a permanent bus station could be found in Cape Girardeau soon. He said the Kingshighway location would be ideal if the special use permit is approved for the site.

"I have called in for (Barklage), the city manager's talked to him, and it's just a matter of getting the special use permit," he said.

He said City Manager J. Ronald Fischer was "very positive" regarding the special use permit. "He said he felt that it wouldn't really be any problem," Clayton said.

"The police department and the city manager's office have all been very cooperative."

Fischer said the Sprigg Street bus stop is only temporary and that Greyhound will continue to "aggressively seek a permanent agent in Cape Girardeau."

The Union Bus Depot at 16 N. Frederick closed in March 1990 after serving as the Greyhound station for more than 40 years. A new bus station then opened at a convenience store at 1101 William. But that station was closed five months later after neighbors complained of traffic problems and noise. The bus station reopened Sept. 4 in Kelley's building on Sprigg.