Cape seeks nominations for endangered buildings

The city of Cape Girardeau is accepting nominations for its 2019 endangered-buildings list as city officials contemplate the future of three historic, governmental buildings.

City planner Ryan Shrimplin said the Cape Girardeau City Council ultimately will decide the future of three historic structures -- the Common Pleas Courthouse, the Courthouse Annex and city hall, Shrimplin said.

"It is all kind of up in the air right now," Shrimplin said Thursday.

Alyssa Phares, vice chairwoman of the city's historic preservation commission, said commissioners are concerned about all three buildings. "All of them are on our radar," she said.

Phares said it is possible the Common Pleas Courthouse and city hall could be added to the endangered-buildings list. The Annex was added to the list last year.

Building nominations should include a statement explaining the building's historic significance, why the person believes the building is endangered, suggestions for what measures could be taken to save it, and a photo of the building in its current condition, according to a news release posted on the city's website.

Southeast Missouri State University historic preservation students typically nominate structures.

But city planner Ryan Shrimplin said anyone can nominate a structure and that individual does not have to have any expertise in historic preservation.

"The point is to get them thinking," he said, explaining it makes little sense to nominate a building so deteriorated it can't be saved.

The city's historic preservation commission plans to review the nominations at its March 20 meeting and adopt the list April 17.

Compiling this year's endangered-buildings list comes amid uncertainly over the future of the Common Pleas Courthouse, the Annex and city hall, all structures in the city's downtown.

Cape Girardeau County government vacated the Annex, which is adjacent to the courthouse, last year.

The Annex, built as a Carnegie Library in 1921 and opened in 1922, is one of 15 structures on the commission's 2018 endangered-buildings list.

The Common Pleas Courthouse, which predates the Civil War, houses some circuit court offices and courtrooms. But Cape Girardeau County government plans to vacate the old courthouse in 2020 once it completes a new justice center in Jackson.

City officials are contemplating razing the existing city hall, housed in the former Lorimier School, and constructing new city hall on the site.

The city government has used the Independence Street structure, built in 1937 as an elementary school, as city hall since 1978.

An architectural firm hired by the city has recommended construction of a new city hall on the grounds of the existing facility at an estimated cost of $19 million.

Cape Girardeau city government operated out of the Common Pleas Courthouse at 44 N. Lorimier St. from 1854, when the brick structure opened, until moving into the old school.

City officials last year looked at the possibility of moving city offices back into the old courthouse, but determined the building would not serve the city's needs.

The historic preservation commission created the endangered-buildings list in 2012 to promote awareness of structures that are "at risk" of being lost because of pending demolition, physical deterioration and/or long-term vacancy, city officials said in a release posted on the city's website.

Nominations may be submitted by email to cityplanning@cityofcape.org or by mail to the commission at city hall, 401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63703.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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