Another step taken toward opening Cape business park

There is good progress being made at the Cape Girardeau Business Park, the future home of a Pepsi Mid-America distribution center.

The Southeast Missourian reported recently AT&T was nearing completion of installing fiber-optic cable that will have the ability to provide high-speed network connection to businesses located at the park.

City leaders said this was the "final piece" of infrastructure to make the site ready. Craig Felzien, regional director of external affairs for AT&T, said the project was expedited, saying this was "a good use of capital dollars." The finished product will, according to him, make the site an "AT&T certified fiber park" -- something Felzien said has been helpful elsewhere in marketing.

The first tenant of the business park will be Pepsi Mid-America, and officials told the Southeast Missourian they are looking to have the project finished by midsummer in 2015. It's expected to produce about 74 jobs.

Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission in Perryville, told the newspaper in a recent interview that this business park and the addition of Pepsi is significant.

"I think when you look down at Cape, there's an area out there on Interstate 55, where the new Pepsi organization is going to be locating ... what a tremendous opportunity that the business park offers. It's right on the interstate with great access, and the park is developing. You've got the whole interchange, which I think you will see take off and do something huge. Pepsi is a big deal, and I think getting all that started is a very big deal."

The business park has been in the making for some time. There have been several infrastructure improvements made to help make this a viable option for recruiting businesses, including the initial purchase of land by the City of Cape Girardeau from Southeast Missouri State University, road projects and the installation of streets, sidewalks, sewer and water lines.

We are pleased to see the progress on the business park and look forward to welcoming Pepsi and other businesses.