Development news

Area on North Kingshighway being developed

Anyone traveling on North Kingshighway going past Mount Auburn Road can't miss noticing that a lot of space is being prepared for development.

The new building for Casa Mexicana, a restaurant owned by Paducah, Ky., entrepreneur Israel Delapaz, will be ready to open soon, said Gary Helwege, developer of the site just north of the intersection.

Several other businesses are on the verge of signing contracts to move into the development, he said. "There are 15,000 square feet being readied to put under construction," he said. "The dirt has been moved, the utilities are in and everything is contingent upon the leases."

Helwege envisions at least two more restaurants in the development, with retail shops and professional offices being part of the mix.

Alongside the new Casa Mexicana restaurant, Hellwege plans to build a strip-mall shopping complex. He's also working with professional offices to sell lots for free-standing buildings.

While Helwege is busy setting up deals north of the Mount Auburn intersection, a little further south, Mitch Kinder's Regents Parc building is about 75 percent completed. The 40,000-square-foot building will have retail and restaurant space on the Kingshighway frontage, with two floors above dedicated to offices.

Second floor offices have ground-level access at the back of the building, Kinder said.

Construction is expected to be complete in mid-November.

Taken together, the two developments could be a catalyst for development in the area, Kinder said. "I think it is exciting for the north end of town," he said.

Traffic counts make investments in business along Kingshighway a good gamble, Kinder said. "There hasn't been a lot of new development on this end of town. Everything is out by the mall, and you've got to drive across town to get services."

Kinder has been building single and multifamily homes in Cape Girardeau since 1990. By moving into commercial construction, he said, he's diversifying in part because of a showdown in home construction. "I am just looking to expand my business in all directions," Kinder said. "It is just another step to take."

Mossy Oak Properties expands

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Mossy Oak Properties has expanded its network of brokerage offices in Missouri with the addition of an office at 1943 N. Westwood in Poplar Bluff.

Owners Brad Smith of Poplar Bluff and David Kerbaey of Ellsinore, Mo., decided to partner with Mossy Oak by buying a franchise and forming Mossy Oak Properties Turn-Key Investment.

Mossy Oak Properties is based at U.S. Military Academy, Miss. Each office is locally owned and operated. The Poplar Bluff office will focus on rural recreational land and residential and commercial properties in Butler, Ripley, Carter, Wayne, Oregon, Shannon, Reynolds and Stoddard counties. The managing broker of the office will be Sabarina Ridings. She will be assisted by Lucas Edington. Other real estate professionals are expected to join.

New companies will locate here

Two companies with big shares of their respective retail markets will be opening new stores in Cape Girardeau in coming months.

Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee chain with 13,728 outlets in 40 countries, will be opening a 24-hour coffeehouse with a drive-through at Interstate 55 and William Street, according to the business license application. And Advance Auto Parts, the second-largest chain of retail auto parts stores, will open a $1.5 million, 6,942 square-foot store at 257 N. Kingshighway in November or December, a company spokeswoman said.

Starbucks already has a licensed outlet in the Target store on Siemers Drive, but the new store will be a 1,750-square foot store that is company owned.

Both Starbucks and Advance Auto Parts prefer to operate their own stores rather than award franchises, and both have enjoyed strong growth, with Starbucks adding a store a day in the United States during the 1990s and early 2000s. Advance Auto Parts isn't growing quite that fast, but it has grown from 352 stores in 1993 to 3,187 stores in 40 states as of July 14, according to Shelly Whitaker, manager of public communications in the company's Roanoke, Va., headquarters.

Local mayors look to bring jobs, health to residents

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The mayors of New Madrid County communities are looking for ways to bring in jobs and ensure the health and safety of their residents. Working together as the New Madrid County Mayors' Group, the community leaders discussed how best to go about this.

In response to interest from an industry in locating in New Madrid County, the group has agreed to seek to hire someone who could work part-time as a contact and provide information about the county. Already several of the communities have set aside funding for economic development, according to New Madrid Mayor Donnie Brown with approximately $25,000 available now. He added the New Madrid County Commission has been asked to match the amount put forth by the cities.

A committee was formed to include Brown, Lilbourn Mayor Don Ray, Portageville Mayor Bud Sisson and Gideon Mayor Lee Downing and one county commissioner, yet to be named, to meet with several individuals, whose names were suggested in an effort to begin the process of employing someone to promote the county's interests with prospective industries.

Although Brown would not name the industries, he did indicate there were two which were interested in the area due to the location along the Mississippi River. He noted the state's senators and the Missouri Department of Economic Development are also working with the area. Other areas, he said, are also working to locate the industries in their communities.

Turning a factory into homes

KENNETT, Mo. -- Renovation is under way at the old Ely-Walker factory building in Kennett. Carlson Gardner, Inc., of Springfield, Mo., bought the 70,000-square-foot building and plans to turn it into between 36 to 48 one-and two-bedroom apartments that will appeal to moderate-income wage earners. The apartments are expected to open sometime next year.

FedEx/Kinko's opens in October

The 1,397-square foot Fed Ex/Kinko's store on William Street near Interstate 55 will open in October, said Dennis Brockmeyer, district manager for the company.

The location will be about one-third the size of a traditional Kinko's location, part of a massive expansion campaign by the company that will put up 300 stores by May 2008, Julia McConnell, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an interview from Dallas.

Large jobs will be produced at a central facility in St. Louis, Brockmeyer said. Most jobs will have a fast turnaround, he said, shipped back to the retail store through FedEx, which bought Kinko's in 2004.

NASCAR fans will get a treat when the store opens, Brockmeyer said. The FedEx Kinko's No. 11 racer built by Joe Gibbs Racing will be on hand, although it is unlikely that driver Denny Hamlin will join the car.

In addition to the store in Cape Girardeau, FedEx/Kinko's will open eight more stores in the Southern Illinois, Southern Missouri region in the next 10 months, Brockmeyer said.

The new store will go into the property owned by Drury Development Corp. that will include a Starbucks coffee shop and Bening Communications, which is open for business.

Art business moves to new location

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Red Geranium is taking root in a new location and business is blossoming, according to owner Glenda Manche.

The local art and antiques business moved to 211 S. Main St. earlier this year, vastly expanding its floor space. "This is a gorgeous building that was a treasure to Charleston," she said about the building which was originally constructed in 1918 by W.C. Bryant.

Since the move, Manche said the new downtown location has provided an increase in traffic for the business.

Also the new location is providing Manche with an opportunity to expand what she can offer through The Red Geranium. "My goal is for an increase in art appreciation," said Manche. "Charleston needs more cultural opportunities."

Manche's own art studio and her works are in the room just off the gallery. It is here she teaches separate classes to adults and children on a weekly basis.

Manche said The Red Geranium works with the Charleston Arts and Tourism Commission to develop tourism and the arts in the community.

The Red Geranium is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Those interested in the classes or rental can contact Manche at 683-4503.

Supervision center continues to draw controversy

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Despite opposition from city, county and businesses in the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park, Tom and Nancy Mosley have proposed to build a community supervision center now at Black River Industrial Park. The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce says its position on the halfway house remains unchanged no matter what the location.

The city council's opposition of the first petition came in the form of denying annexation of the property owned by Tom and Nancy Mosley into the city limits. At a recent meeting, no one on the Poplar Bluff City Council was willing to make a motion to move the Mosleys' annexation petition to the voting session. In their request for annexation, the Mosleys asked that the city extend sewer service to the proposed site.

Jayson Jewelers opens new store

Jayne Ervin has announced that she's opening a new store at 97 N. Kingshighway at the Crossroads. Jayson Jewelers Ltd., in business for 23 years at 115 Themis St. downtown, wants to attract a younger clientele that doesn't generally spend much time shopping downtown, Ervin said.

The new store will feature finished jewelry and customers will be able to drop items for cleaning. The work of designing original jewelry pieces will remain at the downtown location, Ervin said.