Drury Southwest is hoping land preparation will draw in businesses

In an effort to encourage development along South Siemers Drive, Drury Southwest is making infrastructure upgrades to its property there.

Work is underway on a 22-acre tract between Siemers Drive and Interstate 55, in the area of Fox Lane, to relocate a drainage ditch that runs through the property, said Larry Westrich, vice president of Drury Southwest.

"Right now, the land is unusable, it cannot be sold, leased or developed at all," he said.

Currently, there is not a buyer for the property, but Westrich said the company wanted to get it ready for development.

"We've talked to several retailers in the past about it, but until the site is done, we have not gotten into extended negotiations with anybody."

With the ditch that cuts through the middle of the property relocated and the company's warehouse taking up some space at the site, about 16 acres will be available for development when the site work is completed.

In addition to relocating the Fox Lane ditch, a block retaining wall and detention basin will be constructed, according to Thomas Wiesner in the city's engineering department. Two sanitary sewer mains are being relocated and a water main extension will be installed to serve the tract, according to city documents. Improvements will also be made to Fox Lane.

The elevation of the site will also be raised out of the 100-year floodplain, Westrich said.

He declined to release the cost of the work being done, describing it as a "hefty undertaking."

The city doesn't require cost estimates for site-related permits, city planner Ryan Shrimplin said.

The site is in front of the home improvement retailer Menards, which opened in May. Menards purchased its 16-acre site at Siemers Drive and Bloomfield Road from a Drury subsidiary last year.

Drury Southwest continues to own several lots surrounding Menards and interest in those sites from potential retailers has been picking up in the past six months, Westrich said.

"When we did the deal with Menards, the main reason we brought them down there was to try to entice and develop that southern part of Siemers Drive into more of a retail area," Westrich said. Most of the retail business currently is at the north end of Siemers Drive.

Westrich said they are pleased with the amount of traffic now coming to the south end of Siemers Drive as a result of the Menards opening.

Crews should have the new ditch open in September and complete work at the site in the first quarter of next year, Westrich said.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Fox Lane, Cape Girardeau, MO