SELLING AGENT SAYS SEMINARY SALE DEADLINE NEARING

If the Old St. Vincent's College and Seminary isn't sold by Feb. 1, it could be demolished.

The owners of the 153-year-old building, the Provincial Administration of Vincentian Fathers of St. Louis, put the former Catholic school on the market for $890,000 just after rejecting a $530,000 bid from the Colonial Cape Foundation in October.

"The reason they would probably want the buildings torn down would be because of the maintenance costs," said Thomas L. Meyer, the real estate agent responsible for selling the seminary.

"It costs us around $10,000 a month just to keep the property in condition," said Meyer. "We still have that much pride in the community that we don't want anything to get gaudy on us.

"I have not been advised otherwise. So probably after Feb. 1, there is a probability the demolition will occur."

Meyer mentions plans for the seminary's demolition in a letter dated Oct. 17, to the foundation's attorney, Kevin Spaeth. He writes that the decision has come from discussions with two Vincentians, Brother F. Joseph Hess and the Rev. William Hartenback.

Meyer said he has had prospective buyers look at the seminary and its grounds but has not been able to lock down a buyer.

"If somebody wants to buy some ground to put a motel on it, that's fine with us," he said. "We've just got to try to market it the best way we can. The hope is that somewhere the people that have an interest in this -- in historical preservation -- would become re-interested."

The last effort by a historical group to purchase the building was made by Cape Colonial. That organization tried for more than a year to pay off a $650,000 loan to the Vincentians for the building. Their final offer, which was about $100,000 less than the agreed price, was rejected in October.

At that time, Spaeth said, "If a wrecking ball ever strikes this building, it is this community that suffers the loss."

Spaeth said Thursday: "I guess I just truly see it as a tragic situation. It has historical significance, it's architecturally sound, it's architecturally beautiful. The thought of demolishing that when we were so close to having purchased it is really quite upsetting."

Spaeth said the best hope of saving the seminary would come from a cooperation between the city and a private group.

"I think it's going to take that kind of support to convince the Vincentians that this is not in their best interest," he said. "I certainly understand they need to recognize their investment in the property, but I think that has to be tempered with the fact that they're dealing with something that is of great historical value to this community."

Meyer said he has not been in communication with any group wishing to purchase the building for historical preservation.

"I guess they all wanted a miracle to happen and someone would come along and do the job," he said. He said some prospective commercial buyers have wanted just portions of the property.

"That would be a disaster, really," Meyer said. "It would be a tragedy if that were to happen. It has a very valuable historical profile that very few buildings have in the area. With the new road and new bridge, all of its access and looking over the river, there is nothing like it."

Historical significance aside, the building costs money to maintain. If a buyer is not found soon they will tear down the seminary.

"It's got to go. Religion costs money too," he said. "Nobody can stand to pay out this $8,000 to $10,000 a month for maintenance. It's an expensive situation.

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. I'm still interested in working something out locally."

Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III said the city doesn't plan to purchase the building, even if it means losing a piece of history.

"It is a historical building, but at the same time the owner of the property has the right to do with that property as they feel justified," Spradling said. "There's not much the city can do at this point to stop that."

At one time, when Colonial Cape was trying to purchase the seminary, the city was going to buy a tract of land and put in a small park. Those plans dissolved when the foundation was unable to meet its loan.

"The city has stayed out of the purchase of that property because we did not have the money available and we do not have the means of maintaining it right now," Spradling said. "We have other issues in our budget that are really more pressing."

Mary Robertson, former president of Colonial Cape Foundation, said she was disgusted and disheartened to think about the seminary being torn down.

"This community doesn't seem to care; there just doesn't seem to be the right sentiment about that building," she said. "Just coming off the bridge, it could be the highlight of Cape Girardeau. There's no foresight."