Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market planned for Cape

A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market -- a much smaller version of the related supercenter -- is planned for Cape Girardeau, potentially restoring the property to its original use in the 1960s when a major grocery store was there.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is listed as the developer in a subdivision plat application filed with the city of Cape Girardeau for the site of the former Plaza Galleria, which stood at 2001 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The development proposal still must be approved by the city.

The applicant was listed as Buescher Frankenberg Associates Inc., a consultant, engineer and surveyor company from Washington, Mo., according to the company's website.

A plat is a map, usually drawn to scale, of a section of land subdivided into lots and shows the location and boundaries of parcels with streets, alleys, easements and rights of use over the land of another.

The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission approved the application for the Galleria Plaza Subdivision plat at its meeting Wednesday after surveyor Mark Frankenberg spoke on behalf of the application regarding the market. The item will be added to Monday's Cape Girardeau City Council agenda for its first reading.

Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets range from one-fourth to one-fifth the size of traditional Wal-Mart Supercenters and offer amenities such as fresh produce and a bakery.

The Plaza Galleria opened as a Kroger Family Center in 1969 and later was expanded and changed to a Kroger Sav-On. After the store closed, Dr. C.R. Talbert and his wife Betty bought the building in 1984. The year before, construction began of a glass atrium, a 160-by-70-foot ice-skating rink and a retail outlet with more than 20 stores and food shops.

The ice rink and many of the businesses operating in the Galleria closed in 2003. Pockets, a pool hall and tavern that was the last business operating in the Galleria, closed in 2005.

The building remained vacant until mid-2013, when it was demolished.

Tom Kelsey, broker and president of Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau, is the broker handling the property for the Talberts.

Kelsey, in a previous interview with the Southeast Missourian, said the 6.86-acre commercial lot would be attractive to buyers looking for a "'neighborhood friendly' location in Cape Girardeau." Kelsey said he already was speaking with "buyers who might have more interest in a ground-up project, rather than attempting to rehab the present building."

The Daily American Republic in November reported Wal-Mart planned to build a 42,000-sqaure-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Bill Simon, Wal-Mart's president and CEO of its U.S. operations, said the retailer plans to open 500 Neighborhood Markets within the next 18 months, increasing the number from 290, the Daily American Republic reported.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger had no comment on the application and its listed developer.

ashedd@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent addresses:

2001 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau, MO

Poplar Bluff, MO