BOAT DOCK DEVELOPMENT MAY BOOST LOCAL TOURISM

The river remains Cape Girardeau's greatest tourist attraction. Majestic and steeped in our history, it lures visitors from across the nation and globe to our doorstep. That's why a plan to improve Cape Girardeau's only Mississippi River boat ramp and dock makes sense.

Operators of the Honker's Boat Club want to make major improvements to their facility. The hitch has been obtaining a long-term lease from Union Electric Co. of St. Louis. The utility company has been a good landlord for many years to the boat dock operators, leasing the facility for just $10 per year. It's not hard to understand the dock operators hesitation of making major improvements with just a one-year renewable lease. We encourage Union Electric to seriously consider this proposal, which would benefit the region.

For all practical purposes, Honker's Boat Dock is the only public boat dock in the city of Cape Girardeau where both large and small boats can be put into the river. While the boat club is privately owned, a low membership fee makes it accessible to public use. More than 200 boats are registered in the club. Facilities include a one-lane concrete boat ramp into the river, and a small "L" shaped dock where boaters can temporarily tie up. The club hopes to build an additional boat ramp, which could be used for flat-bottomed boats.

Beyond the short-term improvements, boat club officials are urging consideration of a municipal marina north of the downtown waterfront. The boat club first presented a proposal for establishing a marina on the city waterfront in 1976, but nothing came of it.

Since that time, the Trail of Tears marina has failed due to continual silt problems. Boat operators say that while the park marina is gone, the need remains. They propose the municipal marina be located in a protected cove along the river between the Huckstep marine refueling dock and Sloan's Creek outside the flood wall. They also target the old shoe factory site as marina parking, with a steel gate in the flood wall providing access to Cape Girardeau's downtown.

This long-term concept warrants further study. Boat club operators say Cape Girardeau is the only point on the river between St. Louis and Memphis where transient yachts and pleasure boats can stop for fuel and water; it also marks the halfway point between St. Louis and Kentucky Lake and is the only place to refuel along the way. A marina with a refueling facility could encourage more boaters to dock here, and spend dollars in our city. It would also draw local visitors, who want to admire the yachts and boats. Dock operators point out that other cities that have built municipal marinas have seen major economic growth and development along downtown waterfronts.

We urge Union Electric to seriously consider a long-term lease or sale of the property to facilitate improvements at Honker's boat dock. Too, a municipal marina represents a long-term project that the city should study. Obviously, financing would be a major factor in construction of a marina. From the beginning, Cape Girardeau's development has been linked to the river. It only follows that the mighty Mississippi will continue to play an integral role in city betterment.