Two developments move ahead on Cape's west side

Two developments are moving forward on the west side of Cape Girardeau, including plans for construction of a new MRV Bank at Mount Auburn and Kage roads on land bordering North Kingshighway.

The second development is on Hopper Road on land bordering Mount Auburn Road, city officials and developer Mike Peters said. The 21-acre site encompasses the former Hunze farm, Peters and city officials said.

At Mount Auburn and Kage roads, two existing buildings in the six-acre tract have been demolished to make room for commercial development, said developer Scott Rhodes.

The new MRV Bank project will encompass 4,000 square feet and should be open by September, Rhodes said.

The rest of the Rhodes Properties development has not been finalized, but Rhodes said a restaurant or office building could be located there.

Rhodes said the land borders North Kingshighway on the north side, Mount Auburn to the east and Kage Road to the south. Large pipes will be installed on the site for storm drainage as part of the project, he said.

The city council on Monday rezoned the site from C-1, general commercial, to C-2, highway commercial. City planner Ryan Shrimplin said the site consists of four contiguous tracts, two of which were zoned C-2 and front North Kingshighway.

Rhodes requested the entire site be zoned as C-2 to avoid having split-zoned lots, Shrimplin said in an agenda report to the council.

As for the Hopper Road development, Peters of SEMO Development LLC said three acres will be developed for commercial use. The remaining acres will be used for residential development -- most likely single-family homes, Peters said.

The city owned a small section of the land, obtained several years ago as part of the Hopper Road realignment project, city engineer Casey Brunke said in an agenda report to the council.

On Monday, the council finalized the sale of the land. SEMO Development purchased about two acres fronting on Hopper Road for more than $65,000, Brunke said.

The city will retain three permanent drainage easements, Brunke said.

The council Monday also rezoned the acreage at the corner of Hopper and Mount Auburn roads from single-family residential to general commercial, clearing the way for development to proceed.

While no specific commercial development has been announced, Peters said the commercially zoned part of the site could be developed for professional office space.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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