RIVER CAMPUS BOARD WANTS MUSEUM INPUT

The River Campus Board of Managers wants advice from Cape Girardeau's historical groups and the city on what should be displayed in a proposed museum at the campus.

Board members voted Monday to seek suggestions from city officials and leaders of the River Heritage Museum, the Glenn House, the local historical society and the former Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation.

The museum will be part of Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus school for the visual and performing arts.

Southeast wants to spend about $36 million to develop a Catholic seminary into its River Campus overlooking the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau. The city would pay part of the cost of the project.

The university, thanks to a financial gift from B.W. Harrison of Cape Girardeau, purchased old St. Vincent's Seminary last year from the Catholic organization that owned it.

This isn't the first effort to redevelop the site. The Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation failed three years ago in its efforts to secure financing to purchase the historic property. The group wanted to turn the former seminary into a museum or cultural center.

River Campus board member Jerry Ford said advice from officials of the local historical groups could help ensure the new museum is more than just a university museum. Board members said the new museum could include an area that would highlight local history.

Board member Dennis Vollink said the city input should include advice from the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. Among other things, the project has been touted as a way to promote tourism.

Vollink said that should be considered in developing the museum.

It has been suggested that the River Campus include a visitors center to provide information to tourists.

The board needs to look at all the options, Vollink said.

The university is close to naming an interim director for the new arts school to help plan for development of the River Campus.

Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president for administration and enrollment management at Southeast, said plans are to choose a person already on the university staff.

The River Campus board is scheduled to meet with the university's architects and the school's arts task force next month.

Jerri Wyman, chairman of the River Campus board, said the group needs to serve as "a sounding board" for the community.