Old Town Cape marks ninth anniversary

It started as a dream to revitalize downtown Cape Girardeau on July 1, 1999.

Nine years later, Old Town Cape's mission remains the same.

"Our goal from the beginning has been to improve the downtown district that is so vital to the city of Cape Girardeau," said Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape, which celebrated its anniversary this week without fanfare. "After many hours of hard work, we have gained respect in the area as an organization that cares for the community."

As a certified Main Street Program, Old Town Cape supports the 130 blocks of small businesses through advocacy, workshops and events that attract tourists and residents to downtown.

The summer offers such Old Town Cape-sponsored events as the Libertyfest celebration on July 4 and the Tunes at Twilight summer concert series. During the winter, the organization hosts the Christmas Parade of Lights and downtown open house.

Perhaps one of Old Town Cape's most elaborate projects is the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri, or DREAM, Initiative. DREAM is helping produce a strategic plan for three of the city's downtown sections.

Using volunteers and paid staff, DREAM projects have included focus groups, downtown community survey, land use and infrastructure study, visitor survey and assessments of tourism and marketing.

Terri Foley, a historic preservation consultant and past president of Old Town Cape's board of directors, said downtown Cape Girardeau's uniqueness stems from its local businesses.

"The majority of businesses a person will find in our historic downtown area are locally owned," Foley said. "So you see those local owners working their own businesses, too. This allows property owners to retain commercial or residential buildings and preserves its unique image."

Mills said these projects have led to an expansion of business downtown.

According to statistics compiled by Old Town Cape, 22 new businesses were created last year, compared to 19 in 2006. This year, nine new businesses have established themselves in the downtown area.

Of the total number of businesses in downtown Cape Girardeau, 16 businesses are listed on the national historic registry, according to Foley.

She said five districts, which are made up of a cluster of neighboring businesses, are also listed on the registry.

Mills emphasized that events and growth of the downtown area could not take place without the organization's dedicated volunteer base.

With a staff of one full-time and one part-time member, Old Town Cape relies heavily on its 17-member all-volunteer board of directors, countless business partnerships and members of the community.

"We are here today because of the volunteer leadership, which was instrumental from the beginning," Mills said.

"We've had a strong partnership with the businesses in the community and the people, who have spent a considerable amount of time moving the organization forward. The credit goes to the volunteers, as we are a volunteer-driven organization."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137