SALVATION ARMY DREAM COMES TRUE

A ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday at 701 Good Hope marked the start of construction of the $1 million Salvation Army headquarters ... and the fruition of a dream for Capt. Elmer Trapp.

"We're really excited," said Trapp. "Finally we're ready to begin construction, and everything is happening so fast.

"They brought in a couple loads of steel beams (Wednesday) which are stacked in the parking lot and they're going to fence in the area (today)," he said. "By Friday, you should see some real construction under way."

The new, 17,200 square-foot building has been on Trapp's "wish list" for several years.

"To the best of my knowledge, this will be the first time the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau will have adequate facilities, specially built just for us," Trapp said. "In the past, we have always had to adapt to what buildings we were able to purchase or lease."

The Salvation Army was headquartered in an old theater that was condemned a short while after they moved into it. The organization then moved to its current building, at 701 Good Hope, which formerly housed the Farmers & Merchants Bank.

Since the current building is the only surviving bank building from its era in the city -- built in 1932 -- the Salvation Army's plans to raze it were challenged by local historical preservation advocates.

The current building has more than 6,000 square feet, but only about 4,200 square feet is usable space for the Salvation Army, Trapp said.

The old bank building was also in desperate need of repairs and was costly for the Salvation Army to maintain. At one point during the debate over the old building, Trapp said that structural engineers estimated that in order for renovation to meet national building codes, it would cost $250,000 and still not afford the organization much more space.

Kiefner Brothers Construction Co., which was awarded the bid for the building, will construct the new facility around the existing building. When the building is near completion, the Salvation Army will transfer its supplies and equipment from the old building to the new one. Then the bank building will be razed and a parking garage will be constructed in its place, Trapp said.

The new facility is scheduled to be completed in mid-September 1994 at a cost of $1 million.

"We're going to have a gymnasium, a much bigger kitchen and dining area, a community center, an education and fellowship hall and all kinds of other areas to serve the community in the new building," Trapp said. "The nature of the new facility will not only give us leeway to bring on new programs and services for the community, but it will also allow us to enhance the ones we have right now."

The new building is being financed completely by donations from service clubs, organizations, foundations, individual and family contributions. A million-dollar capital campaign was kicked off in March 1992 to raise money for the building. By July of that same year, the Salvation Army had almost met its goal.

"We've received a tremendous response from the community throughout this process," Trapp said. "Now, when the building is finished, we hope to give back to the community what it has so graciously allowed us."