CITY: MARQUETTE IS A SAFETY ISSUE

City councilmen seemed to agree with a historic-preservation group that the Marquette Hotel building should be saved from demolition.

But, they say, public safety has to be the city's first consideration -- even if it means tearing down the 72-year-old building that is culturally and historically significant to Cape Girardeau.

A group of Southeast Missouri State University students and others Tuesday presented to the Cape Girardeau City Council historic research and a marketing plan they prepared to assist potential investors in the Marquette property.

While the building, which was built in 1928 and has been vacant for several years, is structurally sound, officials worry about the deteriorating roof, an open elevator shaft inside, unstable marquees on the outside and falling masonry.

"It was a wonderful building, but now it's just falling apart," Councilman Richard Eggimann told a standing-room-only crowd at the council meeting. Eggimann said his mother worked at the Marquette and his father played the violin on the radio station that existed in the building.

"Just replacing the windows in that place will cost a lot of money. I really appreciate you guys worrying about it, but I'm afraid you haven't taken into consideration the cost of renovation."

Realtor Thomas L. Meyer, who represents the building's owner, said the asking price for the property at Broadway and Fountain is $635,000. The students' business research, based on renovations of similar hotels in Missouri and Illinois such as the Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia, Mo., indicates renovation of the Marquette could cost from $2 million to $7 million.

The students suggested numerous possibilities for renovations to the building, including a boutique hotel, a hotel-condominium combination or a hotel-apartment combination.

Mayor questions interests

Mayor Al Spradling III said he is concerned that interest in preserving the hotel is temporary and only came about because of the city's threats to tear the building down.

"I find it rather intriguing that it sat there for eight years and nobody did anything with it," he said. "Now that we proceeded with demolition, everyone wants to preserve it. I'm afraid if we stop the demolition we will stop the interest. We finally take the interest to go forward, and we've created a firestorm to preserve it."

Student Jeremy Wells told the council that he suspects the sudden interest in saving the building was inspired by the city's wake-up call.

"I think people realize they're losing a valuable cultural asset that exists here," he said, adding that the city might consider investing the projected $1 million cost of demolition into saving the structure.

"It will be a huge demolition bill," he said. "For the cost to demolish it, you could buy it. And I'm not saying that's the best course of action or most prudent for the city."

Eggimann said the chances of the city investing money in the building are slim.

"But I certainly hope the group finds somebody who will," he said.

Councilman Thomas Neumeyer, who represents the ward in which the Marquette stands, seemed favorable to trying to preserve the Marquette over tearing it down.

"We would be facing a tremendous cost," he said. "If you look at the long-term on this, we spend $1 million to tear it down, and what do we have? A vacant lot."

Neighborhood asset

Neumeyer said the building can be an asset to the neighborhood if a buyer can be found to turn it into an income-producing property.

"It's not like we're inventing the wheel here. It's been done before," he said. "What I'm hearing on the street is people want the building saved if it's possible."

Realtor Thomas M. Meyer, who attended the meeting, said he hopes the building can be saved. He urged the council to pay attention to the students' research because it is the first time anyone has seriously looked at possibilities for the Marquette.

"You tear it down. So you have a parking lot. For what?" he said. "I would hate to drive down Broadway and not be able to say, There's the Marquette.'"

Meyer admitted the building needs a lot of work but said he believes much of the work would be cosmetic in nature.

"I am not a structural engineer, but I love the place," he said. "I think of a lot of the good things that have happened in Cape Girardeau, and I like to think many of them started in the hotel."

Wells said after the meeting that he was pleased with the council's interest in the matter.

"There seemed to be genuine interest in finding a buyer for the Marquette," he said. "What I got was the impression that they didn't want to see it torn down, that they were open to ideas and suggestions, but they were just very frustrated."

In other business, Bob Sweeny of Operating Engineers Local 2, which represents the city's public works department employees, told the council he was disappointed with recent meetings between the city and union. Missouri law requires the city to conduct "meet and confer" sessions with labor organizations, he said.

City Council actions

Tuesday, Feb. 20

Council Chambers, City Hall, 401 Independence

Study session at 5 p.m.

Consent ordinances (second and third readings)

• Repealed certain no parking on Normal Avenue and establishing new no parking on Normal Avenue.
• Changed the zoning of the southeast corner of Interstate 55 and Highway 74 from R-1 to C-2.
• Changed the zoning of the northeast corner of Interstate 55 and Highway 74 from R-1 to C-2.
• Changed the zoning of 2621, 2625 and 2629 Hopper Road from R-1 to C-2.
• Granted a special-use permit to Marilyn Landewee and Mary Cotner to construct, maintain and operate additional living quarters at 147 rear S. Minnesota Ave.
• Accepted a general warranty deed from Charlotte Ann Sargent, Mabeth McCluer Black, Julie Jo Cantrell, Frank P. Cantrell Jr. and Kathleen Cantrell for the Sloan Creek Relief Sewer Project.
• Accepted a general warranty deed from Armstrong Heritage Inc. for the extension of the Mount Auburn South Project.
• Acquired permanent drainage easements and temporary construction easements for the Cape Meadows Circle storm sewer project.
• Acquired property for improvement of William Street between Main Street and Sprigg Street.
• Executed an agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for maintenance of traffic signals at Sprigg and Morgan Oak streets.
• Placed stop signs on Hopper Road.
• Vacated the city's interest in a utility easement in Brookshire Estates Fourth Subdivision.
• Placed yield signs on Silver Springs Road and on Gordonville Road.
• Established a one-way roundabout at Gordonville and Silver Springs roads.
• Established speed limits on a roundabout at Silver Springs and Gordonville roads.

New ordinances

(first reading)

• Accepted permanent and temporary construction easements from property owners for the Cape Rock Drive 20-inch water main extension project.
• Approved the record plat of Ten Mile High Subdivision.
• Approved the record plat of Arnold First Townhouses.
• Entered into a Third Supplemental Lease Agreement with the Cape Girardeau Public Facilities Authority.
• Placed electric traffic control signals at Broadway and Clark Avenue.

Resolutions

• To seek funding through the Community Development Block Grant program for the Blair Industries Industrial Project and to pursue activities in an attempt to secure funding.
• Execute an agreement with Aschinger Electric for installation of a standby generator and associated vault electrical service modifications at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Appointments

• Appointed Andrew Chronister, Rick Lambert, Robert Sumner and Peter Hirschburg to the Cable Television Advisory Committee.
• Appointed Ivan Irvin to the Board of Adjustment.
• Appointed Ester Hartmann to the Public Library Board.
• Appointed Dale Kester to the Univeristy of Missouri Extension Council.

Liquor Licenses

• Approved a change in liquor license for Albertson's, 2126 Independence, Mark B. Lamont, managing officer, to original package liquor, Sunday sales and wine tasting.

Other

• Accepted into the city's system the extension of the sanitary sewer system for Rosebrook Apartments in the 1100 block of Linden Street, Sewer District 13-C-1.
• Accepted into the city's system the improvements completed under the Bloomfield Road Widening Project, Phase I, from Christine Street to Spring Avenue, extended the contract deadline by 60 calendar days and authorized final payment to Nip Kelley Equipment Co.