Commercial uptick

The economic recovery has had its twists and turns, ups and downs. While the Federal Reserve tinkers with interest rates, while economic experts make their predictions and politicians spin the daily news to their advantage, many business people in the Cape Girardeau area are making choices, carving their own path.

Locally, it's encouraging to read that real estate agents say the commercial market is trending up.

"People who've been looking at the market for some time are deciding now is the time to pull the trigger," said Tom Kelsey, commercial real estate broker with Lorimont Place Ltd.

We can see new developments at the hospitals, the construction of new restaurants, the casino and a new home improvement retailer. But there is also less-visible activity as small businesses move to expand into bigger properties or vacant spots get filled with new businesses. Most recently Nordenia, a flexible packaging manufacturer, announced an expansion and will become the first tenant at Jackson's industrial park on U.S. 61.

These are all positive signs for our area.

You see fewer headlines these days about mass layoffs. You see more announcements, at least locally, about expansion and development. The activity is up. Let's hope the employment rate follows. In a big way.