JANUARY COLD SLOWS BUILDING PROJECTS

A pair of commercial remodeling and expansion projects, and family housing jump-started the construction industry in Cape Girardeau during January.

On the "short list" of permits issued in January were:

-- Alterations, remodeling and equipping of the former Venture Store at West Park Mall for the ShopKo Stores Inc. debut, $680,000.

-- Aquamsi Bluff Townhouses, a four-family condo complex in the 200 block of South Spanish, $708,000.

The two projects account for two of only 14 permits issued by Cape Girardeau Inspections Services in January. They also accounted for the lion's share of the $1.6 million on permits issued.

January was not a good month for the construction industry, said Robbie Roberts of inspection services. "but this is normal for the first month of the year."

Below-freezing temperatures were recorded during the first 20 days of the month.

"People were not starting many new projects in Cape Girardeau," said Roberts.

Activity picked up in February, especially on the home-building scene.

The overall construction value in February was up only slightly, to about $1.2 million, but permits were doubled, with eight of them for family housing -- seven single-family homes and one duplex, accounting for a combined total of $1.1 million.

The largest permits of the month, which provided many mid-50s temperature days, including a 70-reading on Feb. 12, were:

-- Pyramid Group remodeling of a portion of the former downtown Montgomery Ward building for offices, $257,000.

-- New commercial building on Silver Springs Road for an eye center, $190,000.

The total January-February construction list was down considerably, from the 1998 totals, which recorded 70 permits during the same two months in the amount of $6.2 million.

But the 1999 totals are up from those of two years ago, In 1997, the total didn't hit $3 million until March.

"We expect more activity this month," said Roberts.

Construction activity was down about 30 percent statewide in Missouri in January.

Missouri construction totaled $261 million, compared to $375 million during the same month a year ago.

These totals were provided by the F.W. Dodge Division of the McGraw-Hill Cos., which keeps tabs on state construction projects.

Residential construction in the state was about the same as last year at $135 million. But commercial construction totaled on $54 million, down 74 percent from the $207.8 million in January 1998.

Missouri construction starts got a boost from nonbuilding projects -- streets, highways, bridges, river and airport developments -- which recorded $72 million in new projects, more than double the $32 million during the same month a year ago.

A couple of Cape Girardeau area projects are on the horizon -- a 40,000-square-foot structure at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, for a new aircraft manufacturing facility, and groundwork for a facility for an unannounced company in Cape West Business Park.

Construction is continuing on a number of projects from last year, including Procter & Gamble Paper Products, the Bill Emerson Bridge and some educational structures.

The big news in the early going of 1999 is that of ShopKo Stores Inc., which will open in Cape Girardeau and Paducah, Ky., next month. ShopKo, headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., a leading specialty discount retailer already operating 147 stores in 16 states, will open 13 new stores this year, including those in former Venture sites in mid- to late-April.

The 1998 construction year missed the $40 million mark in construction valuation, but still finished fourth on the overall list.

The city has experienced only three $40 million-plus years in its construction history. The record construction year was 1992, when two giant medical-center projects shoved the total to $47.9 million. A total of 522 permits were issued that year.

Two more $40 million years are on the 1990s list -- $47.6 million in 1990, when 573 permits were issued; and $44.3 million in 1995 on 593 permits.

Last year's totals show a total of 550 permits issued in the amount of $39,785,496.

Of that amount, 80 permits were issued for new homes, in the amount of $12 million; 75 were issued for apartments and duplexes totaling $4.2 million; 36 commercial building permits were issued, totaling $12.8 million.

Construction totals do not include the city's street and sewer improvements and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.

They also do not include two major commercial expansions near Cape Girardeau last year: Procter & Gamble Co.'s $350 million plant addition and Biokyowa Inc.'s $85 million plant expansion.

PERMITS ISSUED

Building permits issued in Cape Girardeau during January and February.

January

Single-family houses: 1, $80,000.

Four-family building: 1, $708,000.

Commercial: 2, $115,000.

Signs: 1, $1,500.

Residential alterations: 4, $27,570.

Non-residential alternations: 3, $745,087.

Demolitions: 2, $20.

Total permits: 14, $1,618,677.

February

Single-family houses: 7, $1,003,000.

Duplex: 1, $100,000.

Commercial: 1, $190,000

Signs: 6, $23,000.

Residential alterations: 6, $116,000.

Non-residential alternations: 2, $259,600.

Demolitions: 4, $40.

Total permits: 27, $1,681,640.

Two-month totals:

Single-family houses: 8, $1,083,000.

Four-family/duplex: 2, $808,000

Commercial: 3, $305,000

Signs: 7, $24,500.

Residential alterations: 10, $143,570.

Non-residential alternations: 5, $$1,004,687.

Demolitions: 6, $60.

Total permits: 41, $3,308,317.