Grand opening set for Marquette Towers

History is about to repeat itself in Cape Girardeau.

When the Marquette Hotel had its first grand opening in 1928, 400 invitations were sent out for the event. About 6,000 eager spectators showed up. Some 76 years later, Tom M. Meyer expects a similar level of interest, if not the same volume of attendance.

"This is something everybody's been waiting for," said Meyer, leasing agent for the new Marquette Towers.

Although the building actually opened for business on July 1 -- after six state government agencies completed their weeklong move into the building -- the Sept. 8 ribbon-cutting will officially christen the towering results of a two-year revitalization of the Cape Girardeau monument.

The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m., followed by an open house during which tours of the various completed levels, from the first-floor grand lobby to the new top (seventh) floor. Meyer said that Gov. Bob Holden, as well as a number of other dignitaries, will be in attendance.

In addition, invitations have been extended to the Bullock family, who previously owned the Marquette Hotel, and to any of the hotel's former employees. Anyone who worked at the historic hotel during its 76 years can be a special guest at the ceremony. They need only write a letter identifying themselves, when they worked and what their job was to Meyer at Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co., P.O. Box 661, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702.

With advances in media throughout the region, Meyer doesn't anticipate another 6,000 people bombarding the Marquette Towers at its second grand opening. But Meyer said he has received a lot of interest from throughout the area about the coming event.

A tell-tale sign may be the last time the building was opened to the public on a frigid February Sunday three years ago. At that time, the Bullock's opened the hotel lobby for public viewing for only two hours in the afternoon. During that span, over 600 people braved the cold to view the inside of the abandoned hotel.

"I'd love it if we had a thousand people show up," Meyer said.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137