COUNCIL PUTS HOSPITAL DEMOLITION ON HOLD

A Little Rock, Ark., company asked the Cape Girardeau City Council to put its condemnation of the Old St. Francis Hospital site on hold.

The council unanimously agreed to delay proceedings for at least 90 days. The new owners, the Phillips Company, want to find a way to pay for the estimated $535,000 to demolish the building and remove asbestos.

The company, which bought the property April 16, plans to build 48 multi-family rental apartments through the use of tax credits available through the state of Missouri.

Richard Pierce, a company representative, told the council it hopes to find some kind of tax credits or state funding to pay for the demolition. Without it, he said, the project would not be feasible.

In talking with city officials, Pierce said the company had determined that city dollars would not be available to pay for the demolition.

Chester Phillips, company owner, founder and chairman, also traveled to Cape Girardeau for the meeting. "We would not have bought the property if we didn't think we had a good shot to develop the project," he said outside the council chambers.

By the time all the state tax credits and approvals are obtained, Phillips said it may be next March or April before construction would begin.

"We also plan to be a good citizen," said Phillips. "We're not just a bunch of talk. You can call the mayors in any of the communities we've been in and find out what we're about."

Pierce said the Phillips Development Corporation's experience includes the development of about 1,500 apartment units in Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri.

The company plans to build five buildings at the former hospital site with one, two and three bedroom units. Pierce said the apartments wouldn't be government subsidized, but would be affordable -- ranging in price from $225 to $365 a month.

Pierce said the company has contracted with a local individual to actively handle trespassing complaints. They have also contracted with a local company to remove debris and secure the building.

Councilman Richard Eggimann applauded the company for securing the building and cleaning up the grounds.

In other action:

-- Six individuals complained about the current taxi coupon system to the city council.

Miki Gudermuth, executive director of the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, said people with disabilities must give 24 hours or more advance notice for a taxi, and then must wait long periods of time.

She said that individuals with disabilities can obtain only 12 coupons per month, and that two must be used to pick up the coupons from City Hall.

Gudermuth asked if the city would allow agencies to sell the coupons to save people the trip. Councilman Jay Purcell instructed the city staff to investigate the possibility.

She said Kelly Transportation agrees to operate taxicab services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Yet it has been recently maintained by the company that this isn't possible due to lack of drivers," she said. "Why do we have a contract if the contract is non-binding?"

Mike Huhn told the council he uses the taxi coupons to get to work, and has often had to wait 45 minutes to an hour. He has been late to work on several occasions.

Huhn, who is disabled, said he has no other choice than to call a taxi.

Mayor Al Spradling told those testifying that the city can't control how fast or slow the taxis arrive.

"They're the only cab company in town," he said.

Angela Lee said she has had to wait one to two hours for a cab to arrive.

"Why can't get a bus system in Cape Girardeau," she asked.

Spradling said a city bus system had operated until the mid-1960s but failed for lack of ridership. But he pointed out the council is studying what the city can do to improve transportation opportunities.