Company to start recruiting businesses to Jackson, Cape

This summer, the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson hired Catalyst Commercial Inc. to conduct a yearlong initiative to attract business to the area. That project is moving from the initial research phase to one of active recruitment.

Catalyst owner Jason Claunch presented his company's findings to the Jackson Board of Aldermen during a progress report Monday, most of which was good news.

He said Jackson and the surrounding area exhibit a number of advantages that position it well for growth and investment.

While Jackson and Cape Girardeau are working together to fund the overall project with additional help from the Cape Girardeau County Industrial Development Authority, and each city maintains its own contract with Catalyst, Claunch said in an interview Wednesday the two cities "are symbiotic markets that work together for economic success."

As such, the area identified as having the most potential for development sits right between them, at the intersection known colloquially as "Center Junction."

The area to the east of U.S. 61 and Center Junction is seen Thursday in Cape Girardeau. Fred Lynch

Interstate 55's Exit 99, Claunch said, is critical for spurring growth.

"In my opinion, that site offers the most geography and also strategic value," he said. "It's the prominent gateway for both cities."

Past the access and visibility the location affords, Claunch said the fact there are roads, utilities and other existing infrastructure already at the site makes it more attractive.

According to the Catalyst report, the target industries with the most potential for the location likely would be regional retail, hospitality and entertainment.

Claunch cited the ongoing construction of the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex as a sign of things to come.

He also pointed to Exit 102, just north on I-55, East Jackson Boulevard and the uptown area as having standout growth potential.

Catalyst collected data about the roughly 70,000 people who live within a 20-minute car ride of Jackson to study what Claunch called the city's "primary trade area," which also includes much of Cape Girardeau.

He said the percentage of residents within that area younger than 35 -- more than half -- is encouraging for several reasons.

"It's just important to know the audience," he said. "There's a large percentage [of area residents] that are Generation Z or are Millennials. These are generally the cohort that spend on restaurants, on going out to eat."

And, he added, they increasingly are becoming a home-buying demographic.

One section of the study forecasted demand over the next 30 years.

Of the roughly 30 retail categories included, the ones shown to have the most potential for growth were grocery stores, office-supply stores, bars and pharmacies.

Claunch said his firm's statistical analysis has uncovered data that otherwise may not be apparent.

He said because many of the businesses his firm expects to court depend on data, his firm is more likely to see successful retail commitments.

Claunch and city officials expressed excitement for the next step, recruitment.

To facilitate cooperation between Catalyst and Jackson during the recruitment process, Mayor Dwain Hahs announced Jen Berti will be city's new director of retail development, a position created jointly by the city and Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Berti will serve as the city's primary go-between with Catalyst moving forward.

Catalyst's analyses of Cape Girardeau are not yet complete, but president and CEO of Cape Girardeau Area Magnet John Mehner said Thursday they should be by mid-December.

Claunch said the city of Jackson and the surrounding area exhibit two things his clients don't always have: a local pool of talent and a corresponding pool of energetic individuals dedicated to bettering their community.

"There's still a significant capacity to tap into," he said. "It's our duty to locate and procure retailers to optimize. If we do that, everybody else wins."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627