Old Town Cape, merchants uniting

Several years ago, an editorial that appeared in the Southeast Missourian criticized some of Cape Girardeau's downtown organizations for not working together. Steven Hoffman, president of the board of directors of Old Town Cape, said his organization and the Downtown Merchants Association took the message to heart.

At a celebratory picnic Tuesday, the two downtown improvement groups will sign an agreement that essentially will make the merchants association part of Old Town Cape.

This will culminate months of discussion and pool the resources of the two in an attempt to galvanize their often-overlapping efforts in downtown Cape Girardeau.

"For the past three years, we've walked hand in hand with Old Town Cape," said Bill Dunn, association president. Since there has been so much repetition in the efforts of the two groups, he said the merger seems like a natural progression.

According to Dunn, the agreement will transform the association into the retail merchants committee, a subcommittee of Old Town Cape's promotions committee. Originally, the merchants association helped bring about Old Town Cape, which was formed in 1999. Now the merchants association, conceived in the 1960s, will be no more.

Dunn said this move will increase the downtown merchants' current volunteer base, give them access to grant money for public projects through the not-for-profit Old Town Cape and double the core of key members -- adding about 240 members to the merchants association's 60.

And since Old Town Cape covers a larger geographic section of the community, the merger also will increase the area the downtown merchants can target and lean on for support.

Although the merchants association will cease to exist, Hoffman promises that the legacy of the association will be carried on, as will the major events the organization sponsors. They include the Scholarship Garden, the Christmas Parade of Lights, the Charlie Hutson Downtown Merchants Auction and cleanup projects.

"Their commitments become our commitments," Hoffman said.

Hoffman said there has been no opposition to the merger from Old Town Cape board members. He also wanted to quell any public fear that the merchants' presence on the board will take Old Town Cape -- a main street development organization backed by federal and state funds -- too far into the commercial sector.

"Old Town Cape seeks revitalization through economic development and historical preservation," Hoffman said. "In fact, to this point, we haven't done as much in the way of retail promotions as most main street organizations because we didn't want to step on the downtown merchants' toes."

Hoffman said the benefits that Old Town Cape will reap from the merger include bringing in the downtown merchants to strengthen the organization, adding the merchants' successful fund raisers and creating a positive public perception of unity among the members. It will enable downtown merchants to serve on Old Town Cape's board of directors.

Starting in February, at least five spots on Old Town Cape's 16-member board of directors will have to be allotted to downtown business or property owners. One of those members also will be asked to take a leadership role by serving on the executive committee.

The agreement also includes an escape clause in case the merger doesn't work. The agreement is good for two three-year board terms. During that time, Old Town Cape will keep about $5,000 in escrow. If the downtown merchants see fit to leave Old Town Cape after that six-year period, they can take that money and revive the merchants association.

But Hoffman is confident that the merger will work to the benefit of both groups.

"I think everyone believes this is going to create a stronger, more dynamic organization," he said.

Downtown merchant Kent Zickfield, owner of Zickfield's Jewelers, shares Hoffman's optimism.

"I believe it's a positive thing. Otherwise I don't think we'd be going into it," Zickfield said. He thinks the merger will allow both organizations to accomplish even more than they've been able to separately.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137