Council holds off on River Campus decision

The River Campus Board of Managers asked the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night to consider taking the next step toward making the proposed $35.6 million visual and performing arts facility and museum a reality.

That step would be for the council to make a finding that the state and the university have committed enough funds to see the project through to its completion.

After a closed meeting following the specially called study session, Mayor Jay Knudtson said the issue would not be placed on the next meeting's agenda.

"To a certain degree, the word findings is a technical determination," Knudtson said. "When the city attorney has made the council feel comfortable that the technicalities have been met, it will help the council make a determination."

If the council makes that finding, the city and university would then kick in $500,000 each to begin the schematic design for the River Campus. To this point, only conceptual designs have been drawn.

If the council votes to move forward, the schematic design process would take about a year, Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins said.

The state has appropriated $16.6 million to fund half the project, with 25 percent matching funds coming from both Southeast Missouri State University and the city of Cape Girardeau. However, the governor has not released much of the appropriated funds -- none of the $12 million that was supposed to be released in 2001 -- because of state budget constraints.

However, Dobbins said $4.6 million in state funds from fiscal year 2000 is available right now to start the project. The state won't release any money, he said, until it sees the 25 percent matches. Dobbins said the university has raised or has commitments for more than $7 million and is in position to begin with the schematic designs.

That leaves the city with the trigger to put the project into motion.

Before the council votes either way, it has a few issues to consider.

It was apparent Monday night that the council wants to put emphasis on the proposed Fountain Street corridor that would connect the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge -- to be completed next fall -- with downtown. City manager Michael Miller said that the design work cannot be completed on that project until the design work on the River Campus is completed.

The Fountain corridor would pass by the River Campus. Since no one knows for sure where the River Campus' museum is going to go, no one knows for sure where the street will pass.

If the council goes ahead with the project, Dobbins said the university could know enough by January that the city could proceed with the Fountain Street project, which Miller said would take about nine months to complete.

"I think it's critical to have downtown access when the bridge opens," councilman Matt Hopkins said.

Lawsuit possible

Another factor the council must consider is the threat of another lawsuit by Cape Girardeau businessman Jim Drury, who has already been unsuccessful in two previous lawsuits to stop the city's involvement in the project. He has warned that another suit may be coming if the city uses a hotel and restaurant tax to pay off bonds that would cover the city's involvement in the project.

Currently, the city has $250,000 set aside from the collection of the tax to go toward the River Campus.

Councilman Jay Purcell brought up the legal point at Monday night's study session, but Knudtson said the council would discuss that issue in the closed meeting.

The board of managers also asked the council to approve the conceptual design for the museum's interior, which a museum committee presented to the council about a month ago.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127