Group will ask city to help maintain historic houses

The Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau wants the city to help it maintain the two historic buildings the association owns.

At Monday's night's city council meeting, members of the association will ask the council to consider providing $15,000 annually to maintain the Glenn House and the Reynolds House in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The Glenn House at 325 S. Spanish St. is a renovated turn-of-the-century Victorian that is open for weekend tours conducted by volunteer docents. The Reynolds House at 623 N. Main St. is closed and needs repairs.

In August, historical association leaders announced that the Glenn House needs an estimated $70,000 in repairs the association can't afford to make. It sought contributions from the public. The association did receive an anonymous $25,000 contribution from a donor this year, but the appeal to the general public for donations was fruitless.

Dr. Pat Ruopp, the organization's president, said the $15,000 initially would help make some of those repairs but would help with maintenance and other uses, including paying docents.

"We would like to have an annual type of appropriation," he said.

Funds already committed

Mayor Al Spradling III said the group's prospects don't look good because Convention and Visitors Bureau funds are already committed.

"Obviously it would be nice if we had the funds to do that," Spradling said. "But with the budget being as tight as it is, it's going to make it very difficult. I could envision CVB funds being used, but most of them are tied up in some form or fashion."

The city's motel-hotel tax and restaurant tax provide the money for the city's Convention and Visitors Fund. The fund pays debt service on bonds which built the Show Me Center, the Osage Community Centre and the Shawnee Sports Complex as well as financing the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. Those amounts add up to $1,078,345, of which $458,345 is the CVB budget.

Loretta Schneider, vice president of the historical association and a city councilwoman when the convention and visitors fund was established, says historic buildings should qualify for funding.

"It is obvious that the Glenn House, the River Heritage Museum and Old St. Vincent's Church are tremendously important to our tourism efforts," she said.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182