MAIN STREET GEARS UP IN OLD CAPE

Studies analyzing consumer attitudes about shopping downtown revealed most people visit downtown Cape Girardeau to dine.

That's not too surprising.

The evidence helps Main Street officials predict things are about to start happening in Old Town Cape, the city's Main Street project.

During the past year, a Main Street director has been hired, an office has been established at 111 Independence, and in place is a graduate student, Angela Miller, to help in the program.

Miller, a master's degree student in Southeast Missouri State University's historic preservation program, will work two semesters in the Main Street project. Also in place is Josh Wafer, a university student intern in the program.

"We've been busy," said Judith Anne Lang, president of the Old Town Cape Board of Directors. "We didn't wait until the last minute to get things going."

Old Town Cape covers a wide area of downtown Cape Girardeau. It has spent the past year preparing for a downtown revitalization program to improve the area's economic and environmental situation.

Things about to happen

"A lot of things have been happening behind the scenes," said Catherine Dunlap, director of the Main Street program, which was approved by Missouri Main Street almost a year ago.

"We'll be doing some things soon that will be visible," Dunlap said.

Dunlap and others will discuss Main Street projects Feb. 18 at the group's first annual meeting at Port Cape Girardeau and reveal the group's 2001 Action Plan.

The meeting will be open to the public but reservations must be in by Feb. 9. The $15 tickets can be purchased at the group's office or over the telephone at 334-8085.

Committees and volunteers have been busy the past year, said Dunlap.

"We'll be taking a look at all the committee reports in the near future and deciding on certain projects of the future," said Dunlap.

Lang said the group has gone full speed since learning the city was Main Street status last year.

The Main Street Approach to Revitalization is based on four points -- design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring.

Committees established

"All of these committees are in place and active," said Lang.

* The economic restructuring committee, coordinated by chamber of commerce president John Mehner, has compiled a business inventory of the project. The economic committee's aim is to improve the economic base by strengthening existing businesses and recruiting new businesses.

* The design committee, headed by Southeast Missouri State University instructor Steven Hoffman, has painted flowers on signs to place in empty store windows. The committee is to create and maintain an attractive environment and foster building renovations, historic preservation, signage and public improvements. This group is working on a logo for Old Town Cape.

* The organization committee works with leaders in the district to coordinate resources and funding for Main Street programs. It has completed its first fund raiser, "a Night on the (Down)town." Ted Coalter is coordinator of the committee. The group plans a newsletter and will prepare for the annual meeting.

* The promotion committee, headed by Marsha Tull, creates and promotes positive images for the Main Street Program. The committee has met several times and has established a schedule of upcoming events in the area.

Downtown Cape Girardeau has three distinguishable downtown districts -- the riverfront area, Haarig, and upper Broadway.

These areas are included in the city's Main Street Program, which was approved as a Missouri Main Street community last February.

The program for Cape Girardeau encompasses an area from Water Street in the downtown area, along Broadway to Pacific Street and to Morgan Oak, which leads to the Mississippi River bridge.

The "square" includes the primary downtown business area -- Main Street and the river area; the Haarig area: Upper Broadway and old St. Vincent's Seminary, the university's proposed river campus.

The initial budget for the Cape Girardeau program is about $80,000 in cash and in-kind pledges. The budget includes office expenses and a salary for a Main Street director, one of the requirements for a program.

Cape Girardeau funds are being shared between four entities: the areas involved, the city, chamber and university.

"The Main Street approach works," said Dunlap, who has been involved in the Main Street program for more than two years, as a Main Street manager at Mascoutah, Ill., and as a staff member with the Illinois Main Street Program.

Fourteen communities have Main Street programs in Missouri.

The Missouri Main Street Program does not offer direct financial grants to the designated communities, but it receives in excess of $50,000 worth of downtown revitalization materials, on-site consultant services and fund-raising assistance.

Surveys were completed before the city received approval of Main Street status.

Two surveys were conducted by the community and economic development group of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The third survey and a focus-group discussion were conducted by the university's marketing department.

Some of the findings indicated that 76.5 percent of consumers went downtown to eat, with only 56 percent shopping in the area.

Some 60 percent of the visitors agreed downtown Cape was a nice place to shop, but parking facilities, shopping hours and lack of a variety of goods were the area's negatives.