Convention and Visitors Bureau hopes for fast move to new home

Tiles falling from above, a structural crack running the height of the building and dirty water leaking into every nook and cranny.

Is this the way to welcome newcomers to Cape Girardeau?

Leaders at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor's Bureau say no. And they're now seeking to move out of their 50-year-old downtown structure.

"We're hoping for a fast move. If the chamber approves it, we hope to be in the location shortly after the first of March," said CVB executive director Chuck Martin.

The 19-member Chamber of Commerce board of directors will vote to approve or reject the move Tuesday.

Martin will not release the new location before the vote, but says now is the right time for a change.

"Our infrastructure is just beyond its time," he said.

Both Martin and Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner said the upcoming move may not be the last one and confirmed the CVB is eyeing space in the Common Pleas Courthouse to be vacated after the April opening of the new federal courthouse.

Martin said the move is overdue. He ticked off a number of structural problems with the CVB building including rusted, leaky pipes, the building's reliance on electric fuses instead of circuit breakers and a crack running up the northwest face of the wall.

"There's just a myriad of things," he said.

Upkeep and maintenance for the 50-year-old building costs $10,000 to $12,000 annually, Martin said.

"That's just the little stuff, to be perfectly honest in my opinion you're talking about $100,000 if not significantly more to modernize this building," Martin said.

A $30,000 roof replacement in 2003 failed to stem longstanding leakage problems and brown water now seeps out of the building's maze of drainage pipes.

Electricity for the building costs $13,000 annually. All these costs drain funds out of the total CVB budget of $545,000.

"When you look at all these things collectively that becomes an issue. It's not something we entered into lightly because of just one or two problems," Martin said.

Mehner was less kind in his assessment of the structure. "It's just a mess," he said.

There has long been talk of razing the structure (originally built to house First National Bank) and using the space at 100 Broadway for multilevel parking. The structure is owned by the city and also houses public access Channel 5.

City manager Doug Leslie said the city is looking into the possibility of moving Channel 5 into space in city hall. He said no decision has been made on the future of the property.

Martin said the CVB will stay downtown.

"We feel committed here. When you look at what we promote: the river, the Red House, the Glenn House, the Red Star boat ramp, the vast majority of our attractions are located in the downtown area," he said.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245