City of Cape to seek federal grant for business park improvements

It's been nearly three years since the Greater Cape Girardeau Area Business Park gained a new tenant. In an effort to attract new businesses, the City of Cape Girardeau will apply for a federal grant to help bring improvements to the business park.

City staff members are currently drafting an application for a 50-50 match grant through the American Rescue Plan Act Economic Adjustment Assistance program. If approved, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) would match the city's $1,200,000 dedication from casino revenue funds.

Funds from the grant would assist in making unoccupied land in the business park shovel-ready for future businesses.

Alex McElroy, Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization executive director and grant writer for the City of Cape Girardeau, said the park needs significant infrastructure investments.

"We've been looking to make investments in the business park for some time," McElroy said. "It's been a struggle for the city to get businesses interested in locating there."

The City of Cape Girardeau purchased property for the Greater Cape Girardeau Area Business Park in 2012 to attract private investment to the region.

Since then, the business park has accomplished incremental yet limited success in site recruitment, according to McElroy.

Pepsi MidAmerica opened its professional offices and distribution center in the business park in 2017. In 2019, SI03 Inc. and Idyllic Enterprises co-located in the park after the companies constructed a 60,000-square foot manufacturing facility.

With infrastructure funding available from the federal government, city officials saw it as an opportune time to make improvements to the park, McElroy said. He identified a lack of land grading as one of the greatest obstacles the business park faces.

"It's difficult for them [businesses] to envision their facility there with the slope and terrain we have at the business park right now," McElroy said.

If approved, funds from the grant will help the start of grading work on a 3.5-acre site north of the Pepsi plant and other sites north of Business Park Place, a road that runs through the park.

The city will look to extend Business Park Place by 1,000 feet. Adjacent sidewalks, curbs, gutters and street lighting would be added.

A proposed 20-acre commercial site north of SI03 may also be established.

Approximately 189,000-cubic yards of earth work will be completed to adjacent land to make lots more suitable for future tenants.

"This would essentially make it shovel ready for any potential future tenants," McElroy said. "All they would need to do then is build their facilities. Water, sewer -- all the hookups will be there."

McElroy predicted work could be completed in a single construction season.

The city has until March 31 to submit the application, but McElroy anticipated the city will submit earlier than then.