City finalizes review, settles on site for new police station

A new police station will be built near Arena Park, Cape Girardeau city officials have decided after looking at alternative sites.

The city council is expected to approve a design-build contract with Kiefner Brothers Inc. of Cape Girardeau when it meets today. The $11 million project calls for design and construction of a new police station, jail and municipal court at 2530 Maria Louise Lane.

The former naval reserve center on that site will be razed to make room for the new building, city manager Scott Meyer said Friday.

"We think it is the best use of the property," he said.

City officials had settled on the site months ago, but at a council retreat in late April, Meyer said the city government would study the issue further to see if there was another use for the former naval reserve center and if an alternate site could be found for a police station.

In the end, city officials came back to the Maria Louise site.

Mayor Harry Rediger said, "We wanted to be sure that is the right spot."

In an agenda report to the council, building and code enforcement manager Anna Kangas wrote alternative locations were studied as well as remodeling versus demolition, and the possibility of building a new police station at the existing station site at 40 S. Sprigg St.

Kangas said staff looked at the possibility of building a police station on city-owned property at the northwest corner of West End Boulevard and Highway 74, but rejected the idea because of a deed restriction that limits use of the property to recreational purposes.

As for the Sprigg Street location, Meyer said the city staff "looked at tearing down the police station and building there." But he added limited parking made that a poor choice.

Meyer said he expects the former naval reserve center could be torn down this summer.

Rediger said he expects the new police station will open in 2017.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

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

2530 Maria Louise Lane, Cape Girardeau, Mo.