CITY CVB BOARD VISITS NEW CENTER

The inside of the Osage Community Centre is nothing more than drywall, exposed wiring and support beams.

But on Wednesday, the Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board saw conference rooms, concessions stands and thousands of dollars pouring into Cape Girardeau businesses.

It was the CVB group's first trip through the new center, located near the corner of North Kingshighway and Mount Auburn Road. According to CVB director Mary Miller, there was a compelling reason to visit.

"Money," she said. "The City Council elected to use CVB funding to build this, and it will be a real asset to us and to the city."

Cape Girardeau officials began collecting a 1-cent restaurant tax and 3-cent hotel tax in 1984 to retire the bonds on the Show Me Center, an event center near downtown Cape Girardeau. The joint project between Southeast Missouri State University and the city opened in 1987.

Parks and Recreation director Dan Muser said the taxes brought in excess funds. Instead of stockpiling the money, the council wanted to use it on another tourism project.

In 1990, council members solicited ideas from the community and picked two -- the Osage Community Centre and Shawnee Park, a huge softball and soccer complex on Cape Girardeau's south side. The projects jointly were estimated at $5.3 million.

The community center won't be finished until spring, but Shawnee Park is nearing completion. Muser said the city kept close to the budget on both projects.

When open, the Osage Community Centre will feature a 1,500-person conference room that also may be used for banquets. It will cost $800 for non-profit groups to rent the room and $1,250 for profit groups, plus extra fees for setting up the equipment, cleaning up after the event and renting tables and chairs.

The banquet room will convert to four volleyball courts or two basketball courts. Athletic events will have their own fee structure.

Smaller conference rooms to the side of the main hall will cost less to rent, and partitions will allow several groups to meet at once.