GROUPS SEEK FUNDING FROM TOURISM TAX

The Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation has announced plans for a multi-million dollar project to convert the 150-year-old former St. Vincent's Seminary into a national and local historic museum and civil war interpretative center.

The Foundation, which was formed about 10 months ago by a group of Cape Girardeau residents, is one of a number of groups which will appear before the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board next week to request a portion of tourism tax funds.

The funds have previously been used almost exclusively to fund the CVB and to help retire the debt on a $5 million bond issue to help build the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Next Monday through Wednesday, the CVB Advisory Board will hear proposals for the Colonial Cape Foundation's downtown historical attraction; a sports complex at Shawnee Park; improvements of Shawnee Park soccer fields; a Convention & Visitors Center; a new park and multi-use complex at Hopper and Mt. Auburn; and a request for funding for the SEMO District Fair advertising.

David Murphy, executive director for the Colonial Cape Foundation, will appear before the CVB Advisory Board Monday at 1 p.m. to explain the goals of the foundation.

Plans call for museum to contain items and documents of national and local historic interest, a U.S. Grant library and a Civil War reenactment areas. The plans also include a walkway across the Burlington Railroad tracks to a dock on the Mississippi River, and a number of other long-range plans which would utilize the old International Shoe Company plant site, which is now vacant.

Bob Hahn of Mid America Hotel Corp. will present plans for a multi-use complex and Shawnee Park Soccer field improvements at 3 p.m. Monday.

The multi-use complex would be a 24,000 square foot building which would house a football facility, soccer facility and basketball courts. The facility could also be used for conventions.

First on the schedule Tuesday will be Dennis Vollink, Drury Development Corp., at 1:30 p.m. He will present a proposal for a new Convention & Visitors Center proposal.

The center would include about 3,000 square feet for a tourist center, and 25,000 square feet for a convention center. The center would be located in the vicinity of Interstate 55 and Route K.

Jim Grebing will discuss the Shawnee Sports Complex plan at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The new Shawnee plans call for eight new adults softball fields and the addition of five new soccer fields at Shawnee park.

Pete Poe will appear before the CVB Board at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, to discuss the SEMO District Fair's advertising request.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau was also included on the top eight which was pared down from an original list of more than 30 proposals submitted to the advisory board for consideration. But the advisory board voted unanimously to continue the bureau's operations.

Bob Hoppmann, who is now chairman of the CVB board, said he felt "we should help the people who are paying the tax. Retaining the CVB will do that."

During next week's session, presenters will be allotted 30 minutes to make a presentation which will include a statement of purpose, a description of the project, and financing proposals. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

"The CVB Advisory board will make its decision and recommendations to the City Council after all proposals has been presented and discussed by the board," said Hoppmann.

The projected income from the tax during the 1991-92 season was about $603,000 noted City Manager J. Ronald Fischer. Of that, $280,000 will go for payment for the Show Me Center, and $300,000 will go for the budget of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, leaving a balance of about $103,000.

Fischer said about $300,000 would be available for additional projects, with about $130,000 from the 1992-93 projected income, and $140,000 for the 1993-94 projections.