COMMISSION OKs JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER

The Planning and Zoning Commission gave its approval Wednesday night to two significant projects, each of which have been controversial at times.

The commission approved requests that will pave the way for new apartment construction on the old St. Francis hospital site and for construction of a new juvenile justice center in Cape Girardeau.

Both requests must now be considered by the City Council at its May 1 meeting.

Phillips Development Corp., had requested rezoning for a corner portion of the old hospital lot that had been used for parking and a special-use permit for a community unit plan, which would allow them to put five buildings on the lot.

Four of the buildings will house apartments and the fifth will be a community building for laundry and a complex office, as well as office space for the Family Resource Center, Inc.

Demolition on the old building is expected to be complete in July.

Once the existing building is demolished, construction should begin. "We think it will be seamless," said Rick Pierce of Phillips Development Corp., based in Little Rock, Ark.

Parking should not be a problem since there will be entrances and exits onto Good Hope Street and Morgan Oak Street, as well as a possible exit through an alley with access to both Ellis and Morgan Oak streets, he said.

The apartments shouldn't bring any more traffic than what the old hospital brought to the area when it operated, said Tom Holshouser, a commissioner.

The commission also approved a special-use permit for construction of a juvenile justice center south of Gerhardt Street. The property is now owned by the SEMO University Foundation who is selling it to the county.

Two nearby property owners expressed concern about a potential drop in property values, but those questions will soon be answered, said Randy Rhodes, chief juvenile officer for the 32nd Judicial Circuit.

With quick access to Interstate 55 and by building in the city limits, Rhodes thinks the new center will easily reach its clientele. About 65 percent of them come from Cape Girardeau. The 32nd Judicial Circuit serves Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties.

Commissioners noted that several other sites in the city had previously been proposed for the juvenile justice center but had faced opposition. The current site is probably the best selection and will be an asset to the area, said Raymond Buhs, a commissioner.

"People won't even realize what they are looking at," said R.J. McKinney.

The building should resemble office space, he said.

Construction could begin in the fall if the project meets council approval and gets the financial go-ahead from the Cape Girardeau County Commission.