DOWNTOWN: 'NEW BEGINNINGS' PARTY IS TUESDAY

A downtown business, Elite Express Gymnastic Center, is moving from 45 N. Main and will open at 574 Commercial on Monday.

Meanwhile:

-- Construction continues at the Buckner-Ragsdale building on North Main downtown in preparation for a mini-brewery and lounge.

-- Pyramid Home Care has purchased a portion of the old Montgomery Ward Building downtown and will move its headquarters there soon.

-- A Step Back in Time Antiques shop will open full operations soon in a portion of Chrisman Art Gallery at 34 N. Main.

-- And another downtown business project will be announced in the near future.

These and other topics will be discussed during a "New Beginnings" party of the Downtown Merchants Association Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant. All members, their employees and guests are urged to attend. Association officers and board members will be on hand for the session.

Tammy Javier, owner of the Elite Express, said the business is almost doubling its space in the new building. "This will allow us to host gymnastic competition at Cape Girardeau," said Javier.

Javier, a former gymnastics coach, purchased the former Cape Gymnastics Center in June. Elite Express features gymnastics training for boys and girls and includes preschool programs.

Pyramid Home Care group was founded a number of years ago at Caruthersville and now has businesses at Kennett, Sikeston, Fredericktown and Ferguson. The company moved its headquarters to Cape Girardeau last year and will move to its downtown building following remodeling.

The two-story Bucker-Ragsdale building on the southeast corner of Broadway and Main has housed a number of businesses since 1982, when the clothing store closed. The micro-brewery will be installed by a recently formed Cape Girardeau Brewery Co., headed by Mark Sprigg and Phil Brinson, both of Cape Girardeau.

A Step Back in Time Antiques will feature an antique soda fountain in its new quarters at Chrisman Art Gallery and will eventually operate as an antique shop, soda shop and pizza restaurant. The antique operation is owned by Leland Rainbolt and his wife, Margaret Rainbolt. Some antiques are already available, and the kitchen is expected to be completed within a month.

Chrisman Art Gallery will continue to operate.