Few District 1 hopefuls favor buying Broadway courthouse

For much of the past two years, the Cape Girardeau County Commission has tossed around the idea of taking over the 41-year-old federal courthouse on Broadway in Cape Girardeau as a replacement for the Common Pleas Courthouse.

The building was attractive because it's newer, with potentially lower maintenance costs and is already set up to comply with disability access standards and better security were the attractions. But the potential cost of the building escalated when the U.S. General Services Administration said in 2007 that it would not give the building to the county but would consider selling it.

While a purchase still has some supporters, most of the candidates seeking nomination for the District 1 seat on the county commission, with a few notable exceptions, have said in interviews or in public statements that they don't want the county to take over the building.

Republican Kenneth Waldron of Jackson sees his stance in support of the purchase as a way to stand out from the 10-person GOP primary field. And Democrat Pat Wissman, in a three-way primary, said that while he is not taking a definite stand in favor of acquiring the building, he could be convinced that the purchase is in the county's interest but wants the public to make the final decision.

In arguing for the purchase, Waldron notes maintenance and security issues with the Common Pleas Courthouse and the county's administration annex building on Lorimier Street. The federal courthouse, Waldron said, is in good shape, would provide additional space and security for the courts and result in reduced long-term maintenance.

The issue is, for Waldron, one of the most important facing the candidates. "I would rather go down in a blaze for what I know to be needed than to be a fence-rider," he said.

But Waldron's opponents are virtually of one voice when the courthouse issue is raised.

"Somebody will have to talk awfully hard to convince me," candidate Stephen Daume said at a recent forum sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Pachyderm Club.

The GSA has started the process of declaring the courthouse to be surplus property. Under federal rules, the courthouse can be given to a local government if it uses the property for law enforcement purposes. But the GSA said last year that is unlikely and that the building may be offered at auction on the Internet.

Federal rules also allow for the county to purchase the building. That avenue has been seen as feasible if agencies such as the FBI and the DEA, which will not move to the new Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse on Independence Street, can be persuaded to stay on as tenants.

That idea didn't sit well with many GOP candidates during the forum.

"We are not in the landlord business," said Rick Aufdenberg of Jackson. He also said many residents would object to security requirements that would be in place, especially if the FBI and DEA remained in the building.

Joe Bob Baker of Jackson was another who didn't want the county to be dependent on tenant income. "I don't think Cape Girardeau County should be a landlord."

The Common Pleas Courthouse will serve the county's needs, said Paul Koeper of Jackson. "If we are going to do anything, let's spruce up the old courthouse," he said.

'Everything in one spot'

Some candidates raised the possibility that unused space in the federal courthouse could be a lure for making Cape Girardeau offices more than just service offices for county officials. There are small contingents for the county clerk, county assessor and county collector in the Lorimier Street annex building.

"We need to keep everything in one spot to work together," said Bill Hahs of Jackson.

Jeff Hahs of Oak Ridge, no relation to Bill Hahs, said, "County government needs to be in the county seat."

Rick Schultz of Jackson said he believes the upkeep on the federal building would be "horrible." The building needs to be tested for asbestos and is a "white elephant," he said.

Weldon Macke, who noted that the county isn't likely to obtain the building cheaply, said he thinks the upkeep will be too costly and the security demands too high. "I don't know if it is a good idea."

Tom Allen of Jackson, who was out of town during the forum, said he favors studying the issue but is uncertain about the acquisition. "It would have to be studied to determine if it is the logical thing to do financial and spacewise. I would have to have more information before I decide if it is a good idea."

On the Democratic side, Wissman said a study would need to answer three questions -- whether the county needs the space, whether it can afford the building and whether the county can do without the building. "It should be up to the public," he said. "It is their money that is going to be spent."

Marvin McMillan of Freidheim said he was uncertain about the purchase and needs information about the costs and benefits of a move.

The third Democratic candidate, Myra Morris, did not return a call seeking comment.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126

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