SALE COMES AS GOOD NEWS

News of the sale of old St. Francis Hospital has people surprised and happy.

"It's wonderful," said Jim Williams, vice president of the Haarig Area Development Corp. and owner of Model Hair World at 236 S. Sprigg. "Our desires were to see it either torn down or see somebody buy it and do something with it."

The Haarig group has been working to revitalize the business district along Good Hope, once a bustling mercantile area. It is working with other organizations to clean up Cape Girardeau's south side.

A Springfield, Mo., corporation has purchased the building at Good Hope and Sprigg. The corporation, 801 Good Hope Inc., plans to turn the building, considered by many an eyesore, into a one-stop government service center or housing for seniors or low-to-moderate-income families.

Williams said he was surprised to learn someone plans to renovate the building.

Ted Coalter, president of Haarig Area Development Corp., notified members that Trent Condellone of 801 Good Hope Inc. would outline plans for the building at the Haarig group's Monday night meeting.

Mayor Al Spradling III said the city would be "happy to work in any way, shape or form" with the group to aid development plans.

"If in fact they are able to utilize the facility, which structurally I think is fairly sound, and can adapt it to a reasonable use, that's all we can really ask for," Spradling said. "It would certainly potentially relieve the city of the potential cost of having to raze it."

The deteriorating building has raised a public outcry, the mayor said, and it is time for the city to take action.

"We're going to do something this year, one way or another," Spradling said.

If 801 Good Hope Inc.'s plans fall through, the city will declare the building dangerous "and go through the process of having to tear it down," said Spradling. The property owners would be tax-billed for the cost of the demolition.

Redevelopment of the old hospital "would be good for the neighborhood and good for the community as a whole, because that's just a building that's deteriorated to the point of becoming a public hazard," Spradling said.

Spradling and Councilman Tom Neumeyer, who represents South Cape Girardeau, are hoping the next good news will be about the old Marquette Hotel in the 300 block of Broadway. Some are also calling for having that structure razed.

"My hope is good news will come in threes," Neumeyer said. "We can do the hospital, then the Marquette, then the (St. Vincent's) Seminary. That would be great."

Neumeyer, who would like to see the old hospital turned into senior housing, said its redevelopment would be "a shot in the arm" for the city.

"It doesn't make sense to tear down what can be reused. I hope this sets an example for other projects," he said.

City Councilman Melvin Gateley, who with Neumeyer has been organizing a South Cape cleanup, said: "It's almost something that you can't even believe, but I understand it's going to happen. I think it will add some vitality and beauty. It will be a catalyst for that area and cause other good things to happen, motivate the people to help clean up and really fix the area up where it'll be a neat place.

"It's so surprising all of a sudden when we were having meetings about eliminating the building," Gateley said.

Family Resource Center Inc. had been eying the building as a potential site for a community center. Janet Maevers, president of the center's board of directors, was glad to hear about the plans for the building. She said the sale won't halt Family Resource Center's plans.

"We're going to have a Family Resource Center whether it is there or someplace else," Maevers said. "If we don't have that building, we're going to have it somewhere in that part of town."