Marquette Towers project due to open July 1

Once an eyesore that Cape Girardeau city officials wanted torn down, the old Marquette Hotel has become a source of pride as construction workers continue to transform what was a dilapidated structure on Broadway into a state office building.

The contractor, Prost Builders, expects to complete work on the building this summer. Project manager Bill Whitlow said the building should be ready for occupancy by July 1.

The state of Missouri will lease about 70 percent of the space. The rest will be leased for commercial offices and retail businesses.

As part of the renovation, the rooftop seventh floor is being enclosed as a penthouse addition. The space could be used for a commercial office or restaurant, project planners said.

About 65 percent done

Work on the hotel building was about 65 percent completed as of mid-February, Whitlow said.

When completed, the exterior of the Spanish-style building will look much as it did when it opened in 1928.

The metal sheeting that once modernized the front of the building and gave it a "diner" look has been removed, Whitlow said.

Originally scheduled for "substantial completion" at the end of last year, the Cape Girardeau City Council on Jan. 5 granted an extension for completing the project.

Whitlow and real estate agent Tom M. Meyer, who is handling the leasing of the building, said state officials ended up wanting more of the building for government offices.

Space changes and state historic preservation requirements, such as keeping the original metal window frames, slowed down the project. The building, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 thanks to the efforts of Southeast Missouri State University students, retains its original tile flooring and its concrete support pillars as well as its tan brick exterior and decorative architecture.

Prestigious establishment

The hotel at one time was a prestigious establishment, owned by the same family that owned the Governor, the former Jefferson City hotel that also has been renovated for state office space.

Originally, part of the mezzanine was a ladies waiting area. Women weren't allowed to be seated in the hotel restaurant unless accompanied by a man. Living quarters for permanent guests also were located on the mezzanine level.

The hotel was condemned in 2000 after being vacant since 1981. Mayor Jay Knudtson said it would have cost about $1.2 million to demolish. But the state of Missouri's desire for new office space ultimately saved the structure.

Prost Builders bought the hotel in August 2002 from Ruby Bullock, whose family once lived in the building and operated a piano store on the ground floor.

The Jefferson City builder embarked on a $6 million renovation project centered around providing state agencies with needed office space.

Prost Builders bought the former hotel for $350,000. Prost made the purchase after being awarded a 10-year, $2.39 million contract for state office space, primarily on the basis of the building's historic status.

The project also includes renovating a brick building at 221 N. Fountain, across the street from the 76-year-old hotel building. That two-story building, which had housed Southeast Missouri State University's central receiving and printing and duplicating departments, will be turned into commercial office space with 10,000 square feet of space on each floor.

Meyer said the Fountain Street building will be renovated later this year in the same architectural style as the hotel building. He has yet to secure tenants for that building. "We're working on some interested people," he said.

The entire development will be referred to as Marquette Plaza, Meyer said. The old hotel will be renamed Marquette Towers while the Fountain Street building will be renamed the Marquette Centre.

City officials said the project -- along with the opening of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River, and construction of a new federal courthouse and the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus -- is revitalizing the downtown.

Councilwoman Evelyn Boardman toured the sandblasted Marquette Hotel building in September along with the rest of the city council. "It's neat to see it at this stage in its life," she said. "It's still a grand building."

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123