Downtown merchants hope bridge traffic will stop, shop

Two years ago, Sherry Yaeger carefully picked the name of her home decor gift shop based on what she believed eventually would overtake downtown Cape Girardeau.

Renaissance.

"I wonder why I thought of that?" she said coyly. "It's a rebirth of the old, mixing of the old with the new. It's renewal. It's exactly what's happening in downtown."

And today marks the first event downtown business owners hope indicates a truly revitalized downtown Cape Girardeau -- the dedication of the new $100 million Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.

The bridge promises an influx of thousands of new residents that will drive close to the downtown area every day. Currently, the Mississippi River bridge is used by 14,000 people a day. But the Missouri Department of Transportation predicts that by 2015, that number will increase to 26,000 a day.

That's a lot of new shoppers. And while the majestic new bridge looms on the horizon of the downtown area, one question looms nearly as large. Will they stop to shop?

"That's got to be the question of the day," said John Mehner, president and CEO of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Mehner's instincts tell him more drivers will come to the downtown area, and indeed the rest of Cape Girardeau, to shop. He said he's heard from many people that say they are scared to drive on the existing 75-year-old bridge.

"In business, all you can ask is the ability to market to more people," he said. "What you do with that is up to the business."

Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, director of the Center for Economic and Business Research at Southeast Missouri State University, agreed.

"Any time you have an increase in traffic through an area, it should be beneficial to the businesses," he said. "It's still a matter of trying to capturing that traffic."

The Downtown Merchants Association bought a 12-by-24-foot billboard located on Asher Street just west of the Fountain Street exit, near the base of the Missouri side approach. The billboard invites drivers to make a right and head to the downtown and to visit its historic shopping district. The other side advertises specific downtown businesses.

But a billboard is only one thing that can be done, said Dr. Peter Gordon, a professor of marketing at Southeast Missouri State University.

"There will be more people," Gordon said. "The problem for the downtown is stopping them from going to the mall and Wal-Mart. That's got to be a little bit of a challenge for them."

Gordon recommended adding additional signage that would direct traffic all the way to the downtown area. He said a billboard on the Missouri side waits too long to suggest shopping in the downtown district.

Gordon also suggested advertising in newspapers in Southern Illinois. "Tell them to come see our neat new bridge, and while they're here, shop here."

Downtown Merchants Association president Bill Dunn said those were brilliant ideas -- ideas that have been discussed. But he didn't like contrasting the downtown and west Cape Girardeau as competitors.

"The way I look at it, if the downtown is doing well, the west side is doing well and vice versa," he said. "We're a city, not two separate entities. It's going to be great for the entire city."

Convention and Visitors Bureau director Chuck Martin also liked Gordon's suggestions and said the CVB would look at them.

Scott Shivelbine, who is with Shivelbine's Music and a member of the DMA's board of directors, said the downtown is galvanized about the bridge, but added there are several other projects that will bring attention -- and people -- to their part of town.

There also is a new federal building being built, the Marquette Hotel renovation is nearly completed and the university's River Campus project is under construction.

"We have a lot to be excited about," he said. "But the bridge is the thing right now. I'm no economist, but the more traffic you have, the more commerce you have."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137