EVERYONE AT HEARING HAPPY WITH FEDERAL BUILDING SITE

In 1966, strong local opposition led the General Services Administration to ditch its two preferred downtown sites for a new federal building in Cape Girardeau. At a public hearing Wednesday night, the consensus was just as strong in favor of the GSA's current proposal to put the courthouse in Happy Hollow.

GSA officials said the positive response means site acquisition can proceed this year. Construction funds are expected to become available during the 2000-2001 fiscal year, and the courthouse could relocate in 2003. The anticipated price tag is $40 million.

Nine people spoke in favor and none against the proposed site directly west of Cape Girardeau City Hall at the southwest corner of Independence and Middle streets. The speakers included numerous representatives of downtown merchants, neighborhood groups and the Main Street program along with City Councilman Tom Neumeyer.

They were unanimous in saying the Happy Hollow site will be good for downtown and for Cape Girardeau.

John Boos, who owns and lives with his family in the building at the southwest corner of Independence and Frederick, also favors the addition. "Welcome to the neighborhood, as Mr. Rogers would say," he said.

About 35 people attended the hearing at Cape Girardeau City Hall in addition to seven GSA representatives..

The lone concern expressed was whether the yet-to-be-designed building will fit into the neighborhood, which includes a number of historic homes. Barbara Port, a member of the city's Historic Preservation Commission, said Hannibal has a boxy, incongruous federal building in its historic downtown. "So I know it can happen," she said.

She recommended the design follow that of the former school building that now houses City Hall.

GSA representatives said an attempt will be made to make the design compatible with the neighborhood. After the hearing, the GSA's Jim Ogden said the public will have no direct input into the design. "But the professional design community will have input," he said.

A design more modern than City Hall is likely, he said. "It will probably not look like a schoolhouse. I would like to think it would lead the way into the next century."

Ogden anticipates the building will be five stories tall at most and probably less.

The need for a new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau was first projected in 1991. Site funds were acquired in 1996, and design funds were appropriated this year.

Ogden said some environmental boring on the land already has been done and more could resume next week. "We have reason to believe we will have to mitigate, that there is some contamination from underground gasoline tanks," he said.

The six-acre tract is owned by five different people.

Ogden said the GSA probably will sell the current courthouse to commercial interests or to another governmental entity once the new courthouse is in place. Ogden said the building would require costly seismic retrofitting if it were to remain in federal use.