Cape city officials predict a prosperous 2015

Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger and Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Mehner on Friday predicted 2015 would be a prosperous year for the city and business community. They also answered questions about economic development and projects from the audience at First Friday Coffee.

The crowd at the monthly chamber-led event at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau had no shortage of inquiries for the pair, including potential locations for a new police station, developments in the Greater Cape Girardeau Business Park and how casino revenue is being used by the city.

The audience also requested updates on plans to city government will be working "hot and heavy on infrastructure in 2015," said the mayor, beginning with the full activation of the new wastewater treatment plant. Planning for a new police station and upgrades at fire stations also will happen this year because voters renewed a fire sales tax in November. An August citywide vote in favor of the next phase of the Transportation Trust Fund also is critical to the city's progress, the mayor said. If passed, the half-cent tax would be extended to support transportation projects for another five years.

Though he did not specify a location, Rediger said the city is considering several sites for a new police station, including the current site, and there will be "more to come" on the issue in 2015.

At the business park, where Pepsi MidAmerica is building a distribution center, Mehner said work is underway with several other prospects, but he could not yet release their names.

On casino revenue, Rediger said the casino most recently agreed to sponsor a welcome center for the city and that the city welcomes suggestions on ways to use the money.

A study of a potential interstate, dubbed Interstate 66 by some, is in progress, Mehner said, and is "much farther along than it has been in a long time."

"It could be, possibly, the single greatest economic development infrastructure thing for this area if and when we can get that four-lane route in place," Mehner said.

The idea for the road has been worked on by community leaders since the 1980s.

An indoor sports facility is a future project funded in Cape Girardeau with revenue from a sales tax on restaurant meals and hotel stays.

"We are at a point in time now where we are doing [a request for proposals] for any developer, that would have a proposal for site, cost and input for that project," Rediger said.

City staff is expected to evaluate proposals after the first quarter, Rediger said, and will choose a site. Construction isn't likely to begin this year, but some design for the facility could be done, he said.

Bug Zero and Robinson Construction sponsored Friday's event.

eragan@semissourian.com

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