Funding approved for lighting of Cape Girardeau river wall murals

Cape Girardeau’s iconic downtown river wall along Water Street will soon become even more eye-catching.

A project proposal from Old Town Cape outlined plans to install 24 light fixtures along existing electrical conduits atop the flood wall to highlight the wall’s murals and provide an enhanced sense of safety on Water Street.

City manager Scott Meyer said the city has tried to install lights in previous years, but only recently received necessary permissions from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The corps’ permissions were granted with a time limit of five years to complete the project. The project will need to accommodate for railroad traffic, and an exact starting date for the installations has not been determined.

In a letter to city officials, Old Town Cape executive director Liz Haynes stated an estimated cost of $35,037 for the project.

The purchase of the fixtures through Cape Electric and installation by Lance Cotner Electric would cost an estimated $25,037, according to the letter. Washing the wall and the murals would cost an additional $10,000.

City Council members unanimously passed a resolution Monday authorizing $10,000 of the city’s Riverfront Development Fund to be spent on the project. The resolution also approved an additional $10,000 in funding from the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, which would come from the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Project Development Fund.

Old Town Cape will be responsible for providing the remaining $15,037 and replacing any lights, according to the proposal. The city will absorb the utility costs, which were estimated to be about $80 annually.

Before voting to approve the project, Ward 1 Councilman Dan Presson voiced his excitement for the downtown improvements.

“I think this mural lighting project is going to be great,” Presson said. “That’s a lot of collaboration between the chamber, Old Town Cape, the city and the Corps of Engineers. I’m just really excited to see that come to fruition.”