Steel skeleton of Menards building being erected in Cape Girardeau

The construction of Cape Girardeau's newest home improvement retailer, Menards, is moving right along.

Construction crews began erecting the steel structure of the building this week and that work is expected to continue through Nov. 7, said Bruce Mottaghi, construction superintendent with Synergy Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Synergy, which has built about a dozen other Menards stores, is the general contractor on the $8 million facility.

The complex will have a 162,340-square-foot retail store, garden center and lumber warehouse.

About 22 workers are on site, including several local subcontractors, Mottaghi said. Dutch Enterprises has been hired to do the plumbing for the building, he said.

Once the steel is up, crews will install precast wall panels and then construct a steel canopy over the garden center and special order area. Mottaghi expects the building to be under-roof by the end of November.

Work is on schedule for the store to open in the spring, said Thomas O'Neil of Menards' real estate division.

The store will employ about 160 people, with about half of those being full-time employees.

This will be the southernmost location for the Wisconsin-based retailer, which has about 250 stores nationwide. The closest to Cape Girardeau is Marion, Ill.

Menards carries building materials, windows, carpet, lighting, paints, electrical supplies and appliances.

Menards is Cape Girardeau's first large retail development since 2005, when both Sears Grand and Kohl's opened off Siemers Drive.

Interest from other retailers considering locating near the Menards store has picked up, said Mitch Robinson, executive director of Cape Girardeau Area Magnet.

"We've seen a definite increase requests for information in that area," he said.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Bloomfield Road and Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO