Developer proposes turning dilapidated midtown building into police substation

Developer Scott Blank presented to the Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday his proposal to turn an endangered downtown building into a new police substation.

Blank bought the property at 629 Good Hope St. to spur redevelopment in the area. Upon researching it, Blank learned of its interesting history.

It was built in the 1880s and used as a police substation from 1998 to 2005. In 1921, Cape Girardeau patrolman Willis A. Martin was murdered in the back of the building, which at the time was Segal Shoe Store.

"What better way to honor this man and his commitment to Cape than name a police station after him," Blank said.

The building would remain under the private ownership of Blank and his wife, Lisa. They would not charge the city for using the facility, Scott Blank said. Renovation costs would come out of their own pockets.

"We don't want our vision and our ideas to become a burden to the city or its citizens," he said.

Blank detailed to the council his family's history in midtown. His great-grandparents once operated a farm on the land that now houses a practice field for Southeast Missouri State University's marching band. His family once owned a convenience store at 400 Morgan Oak St.

But the Blank family's mark on midtown has only just begun.

Scott and Lisa Blank are both SEMO alumni. The couple recently finished developing two facilities on South Frederick Street dedicated to painting and ceramics classes for SEMO students. A third structure will connect the two buildings to create an art complex for students. The Blanks have more developments planned.

Blank told the City Council the Lawrence Group, an architectural firm based in St. Louis, is in the finishing stages of a neighborhood plan revision for the midtown area.

"We're anxious to reveal that once it's done," Blank said. "What we're seeing is an area of redevelopment that includes restaurants, retail and artisans."

A police substation would provide a sense of safety in the area, encouraging foot traffic, Blank said. Safety is paramount to redevelopment, he stated.

Upon a design approval by the City of Cape Girardeau, Scott Blank envisions the facility to have a nostalgic look reminiscent of a small-town police station in the 1920s. He said the space could also be used for community meetings and outreach opportunities.

"We feel like this building's position at the corner of Sprigg and Good Hope makes it a high profile building," Blank said. "This is an opportunity to redevelop a building on the endangered list and put it back into purpose for the city to service the community of the midtown and south Cape area."