Seeing improvement: Several casino revenue-funded projects complete or in progress

More signs with the slogan "Cape Says Yes" soon will be seen throughout Cape Girardeau as the fall will bring completion of several projects paid for with city revenue generated by Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.

City manager Scott Meyer said a few projects have come in under budget so far while several others have exceeded the planned budget, but overall, the projects together are under budget.

In November 2010, Cape Girardeau voters approved allowing a casino, prompting the building of Isle on North Main Street, and now the money is flowing into the city's coffers for use on improvement projects. The city council approved a two-part list of projects in the winter and spring this year that are being funded with a portion of the more than $2 million generated by the casino in the first eight months of its operation. The revenue comes from 10 percent of the total state taxes paid by the casino and half of admission fees for patrons.

About $1.6 million is budgeted for 17 projects that are now completed, in progress or in planning stages. The list of projects was created by city employees by prioritizing needs based on input from the public, city departments and related committees. The projects also were selected with public perception in mind, meaning city officials wanted the projects to be very visible to help the public's opinion of the relationship between the casino and community improvements.

Projects that now are completed include the installation of new playground equipment at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex, the demolition of the former Convention and Visitors Bureau at the corner of Main Street and Broadway, new fencing for ball fields at Arena Park and lighting improvements along Hopper Road. The majority of the projects on the list are in progress, including lighting improvements on Main Street, a space design study of the police station, a parking lot overlay at the River Heritage Museum, a dog park, landscaping at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex, construction of parking lots along Broadway, fitness equipment and scoreboards and bleachers for youth fields. In the planning stages are five new storm warning sirens, filling of a sidewalk gap on Kingsway Drive, Cape La Croix trail lighting and widening, improved and expanded community gardens, a roof replacement for the Fort D historical site and planting and landscaping for the city's entrances.

Meyer, along with parks and recreation director Julia Thompson, detailed and estimated completion dates on each of the in progress and upcoming projects this week.

Roadway lighting and parking improvements

* Lighting that will be added from the intersection of Broadway to near the casino along Main Street has been ordered and installation should begin soon, Meyer said. The new lights will match the lights near the casino.

* Asphalt overlays for new public parking lots are nearly done along the Broadway corridor. The completion of the lots will mean 152 new parking spaces will have been added since 64 parking spaces on the north side of Broadway from Pacific to Water streets were eliminated when the corridor improvement project was finished last year. Parking space on the south side of the street also was reduced somewhat because of the design of the project, which features large rounded curbs containing decorative brick. The lots are located at the site of the former Convention and Visitors Bureau building, behind Broadway Prescription Shop and Last Call pub, in the 500 block of Broadway across from Discovery Playhouse and at the River Heritage Museum on Independence Street.

Parks and recreation projects

* A one-acre dog park to be added to the southwest side of Kiwanis Park should open this fall, Thompson said. The dog park will be fenced with separate areas for large and small dogs and contain benches, separate water fountains for dogs and humans, dog waste containers and shade trees.

* New scoreboards and bleachers for the youth football fields at Shawnee Sports Complex are ordered and should be installed before the start of the Cape Youth Tackle Football League's upcoming season.

* Outdoor fitness equipment to be added to the area of Arena Park along the recreational trail is out for bid, Thompson said. Depending on how the bids come in, a shaded "fit zone" along the trail will contain a four- to six-piece set of weight and exercise machines with weatherproof hydraulic systems.

* A project to light and widen the recreational trail between Arena Park and the Osage Centre is in the planning stages. The current trail is eight feet wide, and depending on the amount of asphalt and lighting the $100,000 allotted for the enhancements will cover, the project may be completed in several phases. A parking lot for the trail on East Rodney Drive also is planned to be paved. Thompson said work on the trail may begin in early spring depending on the weather.

* Landscaping to be added at the city's entrance points that will contain trees and ornamental grass plantings also is in the planning stages. The city is using input from the Keep Cape Beautiful committee to develop the project's specifications. Planting may begin in the spring.

* Improvements to three existing community gardens combined with a grant program to begin two or three new community gardens in the city also are being planned. Thompson said the city is seeking organizations interested in establishing and maintaining community gardens and would like input from the community on where to locate the new gardens as the project progresses. Volunteer groups maintain and distribute produce from community gardens.

Other projects

* A space design study of the police station commissioned by the city should be finished this fall, according to Meyer, and should give city leaders a good idea of the space and facilities needs of the city's police department. A report on the study will be presented to the city council before the end of the year.

* The addition of four storm warning sirens is in the planning stages. As of right now, sirens are set to be added in two downtown locations, near West Park Mall and near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Kingshighway. Another siren near Cape Girardeau Central High School may also be included in the project.

* A new roof is still planned for Fort D, although some design issues have slowed the progress of the project at the historic site, Meyer said. The project will get underway once some problems with the structure's walls are resolved.

* Filling a gap in sidewalks along Kingsway Drive also still is in the planning stages as the city is working with property owners on easements, Meyer said.

After the first of the year, city employees and the council will review its capital improvement project needs and match casino generated funds with those needs as city officials see fit, Meyer said. So far, the city has designated $1.2 million of the current year's casino revenue go toward planning and installation of a utilities system on land the city plans to turn into a business park. The fiscal year for the city began July 1. City officials have also said spending of annual casino revenue may look different in future years than this year because the city may want to fund larger and costlier capital improvement projects.

The dedicated-funding policy for spending casino revenue states the city will use 40 percent to 60 percent of annual revenue for capital improvements and place the remainder in other funds designated for supporting one-time purchases that will result in savings in future operating costs, a legacy endowment fund and a fund for regional economic development and capital improvements in the downtown area.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO