Three local finalists in running for Main Street awards

Old Town Cape announced Thursday three local finalists are in the running for achievement awards at the 2015 Missouri Main Street Conference to be held July 28 through 30 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The group said in a news release since Old Town Cape recently was designated a Great American Main Street Community, it was "certain their nominations would be noticed and strong contenders in the awards arena."

Jim Maurer was named a finalist for the Missouri Main Street 2015 Stick Your Neck Out Award for his work helping create the Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District. It was approved by voters last year.

"For more than four years, he took the lead position on public and council presentations, media inquiries and discussions and property owner inquiries," a news release stated.

Maurer also was recognized locally back in February when he left the annual Old Town Cape dinner with the Volunteer of the Year and Charles L. Hutson Visionary awards.

Thomas R. Higgins Accounting LLC is a finalist for the 2015 Business Excellence Award.

TRH Accounting has been in downtown Cape Girardeau for more than 30 years, while Higgins himself has been involved with Old Town Cape for about 15 years, since its inception.

The business also was the winner of the Business Excellence Award at the Old Town Cape dinner.

The third finalist is the former federal building at 339 Broadway, up for the Best Adaptive Re-use Project.

"This project turned a white-elephant property into a viable space for new businesses and has become a hub for quality businesses that may not have existed if this project had never evolved," the news release stated. In historic preservation terms, "white elephant" describes a historic property that sits vacant year after year after outgrowing its original use and is difficult to repurpose.

Janus Development Group purchased the building in May 2014, and more than a dozen leases have been filled since that time. The group was honored similarly by Old Town Cape in February with an adaptive re-use award.

The awards ceremony will be held during the July 30 Evening of Excellence dinner, where the winners will be named.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo.