CAPE CENTRE: CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN SOON ON SHOPPING STRIP

Futura Properties Inc. will fill a vacant space between Hartford's and Food Giant in the Cape Girardeau Centre shopping area.

"We expect to see construction get under way within a month," said Jack Davis, president of Futura of St. Louis. "We signed a new company So-Fro Fabrics Wednesday, which will utilize 10,000 square feet adjoining Hartford's."

The addition will consist of between 19,000 and 20,000 square feet.

"Some good things are happening," said Davis. "We should have announcements on two more new businesses in Cape Centre before 1992."

Davis and William S. Boudoures of William Boudoures Co., a St. Louis realty firm, purchased a 15-acre strip in Cape Centre in May. The purchase included property that houses Hartford's, Food Giant, and Mail Boxes Etc. USA.

"We still have a little more than 15,000 square feet which is ready for lease now," said Davis. "But we should have some announcements concerning that space in the near future."

The three businesses are looking to early spring openings, said Davis.

He said he was impressed and encouraged with construction on the east side of Broadview along Route K. He was referring to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, which opened this month, and the new Rust and Martin store, which is under construction.

"These businesses will certainly help all the businesses in the center," said Davis.

The Centre of Cape Girardeau came into being during the late 1980s when C-R Corp. of St. Louis announced plans in May 1987 to develop a shopping strip that would include more than 250,000 square feet, stretching the distance of Broadview from Route K to Bloomfield Road.

Food Giant was the first business to open in the center in November 1988. Central Hardware opened its 90,000-square-foot store in March 1989.

The latest developments came in late 1989 when Hartford's opened in a 10,000-square-foot building south of Food Giant, and in mid-1990 when Mail Boxes Etc., USA moved into a portion of the 17,000-square-foot shopping strip adjacent to Food Giant.