COMMERCIAL GROWTH BOOMS ON MT. AUBURN

North Mount Auburn Road, not so long ago a strip of pasture and scattered commercial constructions, is emerging these days as a prime professional location.

A growing list of Cape Girardeau businessmen and physicians have moved, or are moving to Mt. Auburn locations.

The latest to join the exodus north is Dr. Richard L. Kies.

Kies, a Cape Girardeau ophthalmologist, has received state approval for a new office complex that will include an outpatient surgery center. Groundwork is under way for a new $1 million complex along Mount Auburn Road, near the North Kingshighway intersection.

Kies, who is now at 1819 Broadway, received approval from the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee in late March on his request for a certificate-of-need application.

Dr. Robert L. Ward, who practices oral and maxillofacial surgery, was one of the first to move offices to the North Mount Auburn location, at the intersection of Keystone and Mount Auburn, in 1989.

"We have several patients in the Jackson area and south of Cape Girardeau," said Ward's wife, Barbara, a spokesperson for the office. "We were previously located on North Sprigg Street. We live near Mount Auburn Road, and saw the growth potential."

Dr. Jeffrey Patton, a dentist, followed suit. His office is at 2906 Breckenridge Drive, near the Ward office.

Dr. L. Taylor Bahn, periodontics, moved to the Mt. Auburn area in May of 1992.

"A lot of our patients live out of town, and the Mount Auburn Road location makes for easier access," said a spokesperson for his office. Bahn previously had offices on Broadway.

Walter Joe "Doc" Ford made a considerable impact on the N. Mount Auburn growth in 1990, with the construction of a new Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

"Our family was aware of the growth trend on the city's west side," said Ford, the firm's president. "The new funeral home was designed to keep pace with that growth."

Ford and Sons opened at 1001 Mount Auburn in October 1991.

Under construction is a new building to house the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole and an office for Dr. Hal Brown, a dermatologist.

Groundwork is now under way for Kies' new building at 1429 Mount Auburn.

Kies said the decision to move the city's northern perimeter was based on the fact that his present building is too small and does not have adequate parking facilities. He said the complex would likely include one or two surgical suites. Currently, Kies does all his surgeries at the local hospitals, but he said some eye surgeries can be done on an outpatient basis.

Following is the growing list of North Mount Auburn Road offices:

- Ford and Sons Funeral Home, 1001 Mount Auburn.

- Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., 1307 Mount Auburn.,

- Dr. Paul Clark, 1319 Mount Auburn, obstetrics and gynecology.

- Dr. Robert L. Ward, 1325 Mount Auburn.

- Dr. L. Taylor Bahn, 1345 Mount Auburn.

- Missouri Board of Probation and Parole, 1353 Mount Auburn.

- Dr. Daniel Duick, endocrinology, 1433 Mount Auburn.

- Dr. James Kinder, pediatrics, 1435 Mount Auburn.

- Dr. Richard L., Kies, 1439 Mount Auburn.

- Dr. Frank W. Braxton, nephrology, 1707, Mount Auburn.

- Dr. Jeffrey Patton, dentist, 1906 Breckenridge Drive.

- Dr. Hal Brown, dermatologist, 1326 Copper