Eagles club grows with $1.2 million expansion project

When the Eagles club opened the doors of its new Cape Girardeau facility on North Spring Street in 1990, its members were already thinking about expansion.

"We knew that when we got the building paid off, we wanted to add on to it," said Bill Stoffel, a member since 1979 and managing officer of the club. "As time goes on, you get bigger and you just need more room."

Soon, they'll be getting more room, with a planned $1.2 million expansion that will add about 16,000 square feet, two new banquet halls, offices, a fully functioning kitchen and a stage area.

The club, which is officially known as the Cape Girardeau Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3775, will hold a ground-breaking ceremony on Friday at the club at 321 N. Spring St. The club hopes the expansion will be finished by June, weather permitting.

The building was paid off in the late 1990s, but Stoffel said they didn't start planning the addition, which will be in the rear of the existing location, until three years ago.

"We put it off for a while, but then we knew we were growing faster than we could keep up," he said.

The Eagles club, which was established locally about 35 years ago, was originally located at 1810 E. Plaza Way. When the club bought the new building, membership was about 400. It has grown today to about 540 members, not counting the 300 or so auxiliary members.

Stoffel said they have been raising money for the expansion with benefits and by leasing out the back of the building, which used to be a truck terminal. Trucking companies paid to use the spot to back their 18-wheelers and load merchandise from one truck to another.

The additional space will be used to rent out banquet halls for wedding receptions, meetings or benefits, Stoffel said. He said the members will also use the banquet halls for special functions.

Steve Berry is the project coordinator with the construction company, Contrend Inc. of Cape Girardeau. He said the expansion will be 101 feet wide and 159 feet long. He said the one-story renovation can be used as two banquet halls or opened up for one big banquet room. He said it would seat more than 700 people. The expansion includes a kitchen and two offices.

Berry said they've already done some demolition work, such as tearing down the terminal area in the back. He said they are awaiting building permits from the city, which they expect by the end of the week. Construction is scheduled to begin Monday.

The club members are anxious to see how the project turns out.

"You bet we're excited," Stoffel said. "We've been wanting to do this for a long time."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137