Developments renew, reimagine Downtown Cape

Forward-thinking developers are revitalizing historic spaces and reimagining new ones in Downtown Cape Girardeau, creating exciting, dynamic venues.

__Hotels__

​Century Casino Cape Girardeau recently opened The Riverview, which takes its name from a historic hotel in the city that dated to the 1800s.

Overlooking the Mississippi River, the hotel features 69 rooms and spectacular views — every room on the seventh floor is a suite facing the river.

The hotel fits nicely with Beacon 53, the casino’s fine dining restaurant, and other amenities, including the casino’s events center, all located at 777 N. Main St.

The Riverview is the second downtown hotel to spring up in recent years.

In 2018, Mayson Capital Partners LLC, The Rhodes Group and a group of local investors developed The Marriott Courtyard at 400 Broadway.

The hotel combines historic structures and new construction and has 91 rooms. From the ornate lobby to the luxurious high ceilings and other features, the hotel is an upscale anchor to downtown.

__Retail/mixed-use__

​Making what is old new again is an ongoing theme with retail/mixed-use facilities.

After decomposing for decades and nearly being lost to a fire in April 2021, the former Broadway Theatre building in the 800 block of Broadway is literally rising from the ashes.

Developer Brennon Todt worked with municipal officials to save the structure and has envisioned a retail-centric first floor, featuring Bourbon+Bitters lounge, and a second floor comprised of luxury apartments.

The project is quickly progressing, with the building looking more complete by the day.

Old Town Cape and the City of Cape Girardeau played key roles in this building being saved.

Another former theatre, the Esquire, is also getting a facelift.

Tenmile Holdings LLC is renovating the structure to become retail and office spaces. Owner Ben Traxel has been focused lately on restoring the theater marquee and has noted the structure will include a balcony overlooking the marquee and the busy street below — "the marquee and decorative front of the building will likely take most of the summer to get just right."

Todt spearheaded another project to rehabilitate an existing structure.

The River and Rails project rehabilitated a century-old warehouse at 101 William St., morphing it from the "ugliest" building in town to a modern retail and office space complex.

"We’re excited to get in there and turn it into something neat for downtown," Todt said of the project, which he completed in 2021. "I have a love for historic buildings, especially in downtown Cape, and this warehouse could anchor the south end of Main Street."

__Event centers__

​The newest downtown addition is The Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center, 132 Main St. Mayson Capital and The Rhodes Group also drove this project.

The facility’s spaces can host several hundred people, and its first event was earlier this month.

While the developers retained some of the historic building’s features, they mostly rebuilt the entire structure. It was a lengthy process.

“It just takes a long time to clean out an old building like this, reinforce it from a safety standpoint, work around all the peculiarities of an old building and then turn it into something we feel is state of the art for 2024,” Mayson Capital's Jeff Maurer said.

In summer 2022, another mixed-use development opened at 420/430 Broadway.

Scout Hall, which is owned by a company affiliated with the Southeast Missourian, features a basement-level concert hall/events venue, outdoor entertainment venue, three first-floor restaurants, retail spaces and six second-floor luxury apartments.

The former Rialto Theater, Scout Hall has a multifaceted purpose — "bring people together, welcoming our neighbors to the table and attracting those from outside the region to enjoy the hospitality and entertainment Cape has to offer," according to Jeff Rawson, events producer.

These projects reflect vision and dedication to the community. The developers looked beyond what was to see what could be. The results have enhanced Downtown Cape Girardeau and are providing jobs, spurring economic activity and drawing visitors to the city.

Congratulations. Jobs well done.