CAPE GIRARDEAU IS NAMED A MAIN STREET CITY

It's official: Cape Girardeau is a Main Street community.

Gov. Mel Carnahan Friday named Cape Girardeau and Fayette the latest Main Street communities, bringing the state's total to 14.

The announcement came as Main Street coordinator Randy Gray and a number of Main Street managers were in Cape Girardeau for a Main Street managers meeting Thursday and a Missouri Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit workshop Friday.

Gray will return to Cape Girardeau Wednesday with Sheri Stuart, a program associate with the national Main Street Center in Washington, D.C., to kick off the Main Street revitalization process and conduct a news conference.

Cape Girardeau, Fayette and a number of other communities filed applications for the designation earlier this year.

The program for Cape Girardeau encompasses an area from Water Street along Broadway to Pacific Street and to Morgan Oak, which leads to the Mississippi River bridge. It includes the primary downtown business area, the Haarig area, upper Broadway and old St. Vincent's Seminary, site of the proposed river campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

"This is great," said Judith Anne Lang, chairman of a board founded in late 1999 to prepare for the Main Street Program. "We can now go full speed ahead," she said.

The program will be under the name Old Town Cape Inc. at Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau and Fayette will receive technical assistance from a national network of individuals with a broad base of experience in downtown revitalization. Comprehensive services will be provided for up to four years.

The Missouri Main Street Program does not offer direct financial grants to the designated communities, but they will receive in excess of $50,000 worth of downtown revitalization materials, on-site consultant services and fund-raising assistance.

Since the state program's inception, participating downtown organizations have witnessed the creation of more than 650 new businesses and 1,900 new jobs with more than 650 building renovations and $66,800 in reinvestment.

Old Town Cape Inc. already has been formed and committed to making downtown more attractive.

Lang, a downtown merchant, is chairman of a 15-member board to promote the historic, cultural, social and economic significance of the Main Street area.

"The problem in Cape Girardeau is there is no single area that can be designated as the downtown area," she said, explaining there are really three areas: the riverfront and Main Street, Haarig and upper Broadway. Thus, the name of the program, Old Town Cape Inc.

Committees that will help carry out the Main Street theme:

* Economic Restructuring: John Mehner is coordinator of the committee designed to improve the economic base by strengthening existing businesses and recruiting new businesses to Main Street.

* Design: Steve Hoffman is coordinator of the committee, which will work to encourage Main street enhancement; build and maintain an attractive environment; and foster quality building renovations, historic preservation, signage and public improvements.

* Promotion: Sue Yuan is coordinator of the committee, which will create and promote positive images for the Main Street Program. The committee has met several times, and is currently establishing short- and long-term goals, including the development of a newsletter and compiling a list of all upcoming events in the area .

* Organization: Judith Anne Lang is coordinator of the committee, which will work with public and private sector leaders to coordinate resources for Main Street initiatives.