MAIN STREET PROJECT OUTLINED AT MEETING

Cape Girardeau Downtown Merchants Association members had an opportunity to hear about revitalization of commercial districts during a special meeting of the group Tuesday night.

A movement headed by some downtown merchants, city, university and Chamber of Commerce officials is under way to seek Main Street status for Cape Girardeau. The movement involves a number of organizations, including Downtown Development Corp., the merchants association, Downtown Neighborhood Association and Haarig Area Development Corp.

Tuesday's session at the River City Yacht Club at Port Cape Girardeau featured a slide presentation and project overviews provided by Judith Lang and Greg Williams of the Main Street Steering Committee, a six-member group committed to forwarding the Main Street project. Other committee members are Michael Miller, Cape Girardeau city manager; John Mehner, chamber president; Scott Shivelbine of upper Broadway; and Ted Coalter, president of Haarig Area Development Corp.

Lang and Williams told the group the anticipated initial budget would be about $80,000. Toward that amount, central and downtown merchants would be asked to contribute cash or make in-kind pledges. In-kind pledges could include space for Main Street offices. Other funding -- cash or in-kind - would come equally from the university, city and chamber.

Interest ran high but no commitment was made.

Another meeting will be held May 13 at Dempster Hall on Southeast Missouri State University campus. "We'll hear reports on surveys which were conducted recently concerning interest in the Main Street program," said Williams.

One of the surveys by the Downtown Revitalization Committee of the Cape Girardeau Community Pride Coalition concerned shopping downtown. A second was a business needs survey for businesses downtown and in the upper Broadway and Haarig-Midtown areas. The surveys were a prerequisite in the quest for a Main Street designation for downtown Cape Girardeau.

A number of people from the Community Pride Coalition will be invited to the meeting, said Williams.