Cape council set to OK transfer documents for future police station

The Cape Girardeau City Council is expected to approve an ordinance Monday accepting transfer documents for a facility that could be the future home of the police department.

It also will decide whether to approve a resolution convening a commission for a proposed tax increment finance district in downtown.

The city announced Wednesday it negotiated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assume ownership of a building at 2530 Maria Louise Lane, near the edge of Arena Park. The deal came at no cost to the city, which owns the property.

Mayor Harry Rediger said in a Wednesday phone interview the city is "all together on this" and excited to be moving forward on placing the police department in a more adequate facility.

Police chief Wes Blair said when the city announced the deal, the department requires a building to house all of its staff and equipment. The 40-year-old station at 40 S. Sprigg St. no longer is able to accommodate the staff and technology. The jail's size and security also are a concern.

The facility on Maria Louise Lane was constructed about 1968, according to city staff reports, as a Navy Reserve center. The Navy transferred the assets to the Army in 2007, and it vacated the building last year. The property consists of 4.85 acres and two structures, a 22,526-square-foot administration/training building and a 96-square-foot storage building.

Once the council approves the ordinance accepting transfer documents, plans for the new station will be developed in the coming months. Police and other city officials will weigh the costs of renovation or rebuilding.

The city expects sufficient funds to add a municipal court into the police station project. City hall at 401 Independence St., where the court is, does not have the proper facilities to secure prisoners and the public on court days.

Through a restaurant tax, fire tax and casino funds, the city has set aside $11 million for a new police station. Rediger said assuming ownership of the building at no cost will allow the city to stretch the money and "allow us to do more than we could have done with the budget that we have."

The city has contracted with FGM Architects of Illinois to evaluate the existing building and determine what changes could be needed to meet the police department's and municipal court's requirements.

A needs study was completed by the architects in 2013, although it looked only at building a new station at the same location as the current one, 40 S. Sprigg St.

TIF

The city has solicited an open-ended request for proposals, related to a possible formation of a tax-increment financing district downtown. With approval of Monday night's resolution, it will convene a TIF commission. Its responsibilities include hosting public hearings and making recommendations to the city concerning the adoption of redevelopment plans and projects.

The commission was created in 2002 to consider a proposed TIF district -- ultimately withdrawn by developers -- near Dalhousie Golf Club on Bloomfield Road, and has seen little action since.

Included in the commission are six city appointments, two county appointments, two appointments from the Cape Girardeau School District and an appointment representing the other taxing entities in the area. With the approval to convene, the city manager will notify all applicable taxing districts of the move and request the districts make appointments to the commission.

The TIF district is bounded by Mason Street and Highway 74 on the north and south and spans east to west from Sprigg Street to the Mississippi River. The district comprises about 305 acres, according to city documents.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

40 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

2530 Maria Louise Lane, Cape Girardeau, Mo.