DOWNTOWN BUSINESS TO EXPAND

A historic building in downtown Cape Girardeau has been purchased to expand an existing business.

Doc and Karen Cain of Cape Girardeau bought the building at 40 N. Main St., which extends to 39 N. Water St. It is adjacent to their antebellum building at Water and Themis streets, which houses Port Cape Restaurant and Lounge and River City Yacht Club.

The Cains have short and long-term plans for rehabbing the structure. "We acquired the property to expand the River City Yacht Club and to make additional entrances for the club and the lounge," he said. "We will enlarge the Yacht Club on the second floor. The first floor will be entrance ways for both, and possibly more dining space for the restaurant." Plans call for erecting an expansion atop the first level of the building, adjacent to the Port Cape building. It would allow the Yacht Club to expand its capacity by 65 to 70 seats.

The time frame calls for the entrance work to be done in six months and the addition in one to two years. The side facing Water Street will be renovated to match the exterior of the Port Cape building.

The couple is not sure of the exact age of the building but is checking the abstract for details. The Port Cape building dates to sometime before 1836, Cain said.

The Cains purchased the adjacent building from Jane Barnett and the successors and heirs of the late Elaine "Tommie" Davis, who both operated the Co-op Boutique in the building. Davis, who died in 1981, started the shop in 1933 and Barnett joined her in 1938 in the venture. Barnett retired earlier this year.

"We hope to sell the front half of the building, which housed the Co-op, and separate the two halves with a wall," Cain said. "It has the retail space on the first level and an apartment on the second level. We may do some facade work to return it to a historic appearance, and re-open the second story windows facing Main Street."