Historic preservation commission to offer input on Broadway corridor

The Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission wants a chance to weigh in on the Broadway corridor project to ensure the $3.85 million upgrade does nothing to disrupt the area's historic nature.

The commission has called a special meeting for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the city engineering second-floor conference room at 401 Independence St. The meeting is open to the public.

Chairman Scott House said the commission specifically wants to hear the two design concepts for the corridor that were unveiled last week at an open-house meeting. Most of the commission members were unable to attend that meeting, and the city's deadline for public comment was last Friday.

"What we will be examining for is to make sure that nothing's done that might compromise any of the street's historic integrity," House said. "There are several historical nationally registered districts along the corridor. We want a chance to look at the project and offer our comments."

The National Register of Historic Places has given historic district designations to the properties near Broadway's intersections with Middle, Main and North Fountain streets. Other designations have been given to the Marquette Hotel at 338 Broadway and the Esquire Theater at 824 Broadway.

The special meeting wasn't called based on suspicions that the corridor would detract from Broadway's historic value, House said. The commission doesn't meet again until August and commissioners feel like it's their duty to look at the engineering plans.

"There's no concerns about the plans at all," House said. "Absolutely none. But I think anything that's done to Broadway is likely to be an improvement. It seems like anything they would do would be an enhancement. I can't imagine there's a negative -- just a preference."

City engineer Kelly Green said either she or someone from her office will make the presentation to the commission Wednesday. But the city planners welcome any input the commission would have, she said.

"Of course we're interested," Green said. "We're interested in all of the input we can get, and theirs is certainly important also."

The public got its view of the two streetscape options last week. The overall $3.85 million for the project is paid from the voter-approved Transportation Trust Fund, to be largely used for street resurfacing, sidewalk placement and gutter improvements. But $1 million of that will be used for the streetscape portion, which will then be reimbursed to the fund from revenue generated by the Isle of Capri's casino operation. The $1 million was originally to be paid for with money from the city's land sale to the casino, but that money was later used to pay off bonds for the hangar housing Commander Premier at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

The city has essentially left it up to residents to decide which of two options to go with. Design one is the more traditional option, improving the cosmetics of Broadway with the addition of shade trees, special pavement and pedestrian areas. On-street parking would not be affected and pedestrians would be given eight to 10 feet of sidewalk space.

Design two is more contemporary and eliminates parking on the north side of the street, providing business owners more room to work with. The design sketches showed the added space being used as a "pedestrian promenade" with outdoor cafes and seating areas, which are meant to transform Broadway into a central meeting place for the city.

The city is still sifting through public comment cards, though Green expected her office to be finished by midweek.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

338 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

824 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO