MORE MEETINGS SCHEDULED ON RIVER CAMPUS PROPOSAL

Two more public meetings have been scheduled for Cape Girardeau residents who want to learn more about the plan to convert historic St. Vincent's Seminary into a River Campus for Southeast Missouri State University.

Representatives from Southeast Missouri State and Cape Girardeau will be on hand from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the St. Vincent's Seminary grounds off Morgan Oak to answer questions about the project.

Another public meeting will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 24 on the seminary grounds.

The city and university are working together to redevelop the historic seminary site into a school for visual and performing arts for the university's theater, dance, art and music programs.

The $35.6 million project would renovate existing buildings into classroom and studio space and provide a new performing arts center and theater.

In addition, the University Museum would be moved to the new River Campus and be expanded to include a regional history emphasis.

Vision 2000 is hosting Saturday's meeting. The university's Alumni Association is hosting the Oct. 24 meeting.

On Nov. 3, Cape Girardeau voters will be asked to approve an increase in the city's hotel-motel tax from 3 to 4 percent and to extend the tax from 2004 to 2030 to help fund the River Campus project. Voters also will be asked to extend but not increase the city's 1 percent restaurant tax from 2004 to 2030.

The two tax measures would fund an $8.9 million bond issue that would provide money for the city's share of the redevelopment project.

The university is raising $8.9 million in donations, and university officials will ask the Missouri Legislature to appropriate $17.8 million for the project.

Supporters of the River Campus project say it would allow the expansion of university programs and bring more students to the university, provide a new outlet for cultural activities in the region, draw more tourists into the community and spur economic development in the downtown and South Cape areas.