Planning, design puts renovations of H-H building into hotel on hold

It was April when a local investment group announced its plans for a new high-tech hub and downtown hotel. And while the Marquette Tower has been bustling with activity, the H-H building has remained relatively quiet.

But that's to be expected, according to Jeffrey Maurer of Mayson Capital Partners of Cape Girardeau.

While physical work goes on next door, progress on the H-H building, which will be transformed into a Marriott "Courtyard" Hotel with a casual-dining restaurant on the ground floor, remains in the planning and design stages.

Maurer said the main focus has been on getting construction plans finalized and approved jointly between Marriott and the office overseeing the historic preservation tax credits.

"We've not started any of the renovation on that building at this point," Maurer said. "Honestly, we've just shifted more of the attention to get the construction done on the Marquette side while the H-H paperwork and design has been out of our hands."

Maurer said Marriott continues to be enthusiastic about the project, which he tentatively expects to be completed in mid- to late fall in 2017.

"Once we're able to start working, we'll have a better sense of the timeline," he said.

The upper floors of the H-H building and the basement have been cleared out. Upper-floor tenants have moved out, and debris has been removed.

On the ground floor, the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau remains, but not for long.

Soon they, along with the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, will move into their new offices in the Marquette Tower. Then, only the on-site construction offices, which are inhabiting a section of the first floor, will remain. They're ready to start work on the building once everything has been approved, Maurer said.

In the meantime, Maurer said, their focus is to get the signed tenants into the Marquette Tower and to fill the remaining spaces available on the third and fourth floors.

"The good thing is there's no major surprises. There have been no major problems," Maurer said of the Marriott project. "Its just been a lot of work," he said, and at this point "not much glamour."

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

400 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.