CAPE'S BUILDING BOOM

While Perryville works to iron out a disparity between business and residential development, Cape Girardeau this year is seeing near-record business and residential construction.

Through November, the city's Inspection Services Division issued more than $42 million in new building and expansion permits, an increase of more than $3 million over 1993.

New commercial buildings have accounted for more than 40 percent of the total, and, although single-family home construction is down, the city has seen an increase in duplexes and apartment units. There also has been an increase in expansions and remodeling of homes, a sign that the Cape Girardeau economy is booming.

Cape Girardeau continues to fulfill its role as a retail, medical and education hub in Southeast Missouri. In the past few years, new businesses seem to sprout up weekly. In the past two years, new home construction also has begun to rise.

But like Perryville, Cape Girardeau has the coveted problem of low unemployment rates. Available workers are becoming more scarce as new businesses open and existing companies expand. Also like Perryville, Cape Girardeau has a need for housing that low- to moderate-income families can afford.

As city officials address these concerns, recruitment of new industry should become easier as adequate housing and availability of workers is added to the city's existing strengths: good schools, friendly people, excellent medical facilities and a robust, regionally fed economy.