Downtown needs hustle, bustle

To the editor:

Now that we have the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge along with Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus for the visual and performing arts well into development and the renovation of the Marquette Hotel completed, Cape Girardeau's downtown area should be humming. Instead, it is virtually standing still. Empty buildings do not spell progress.

The name "Old Town Cape" has never appealed to me. It gives the impression of being worn out, as our old bridge has been described. It appears to be a drawback.

The name "Cape Downtown" or "Downtown Cape" has a ring to it and some warmth, It is uplifting. Am I right? I think so many show an interest in various fields. Sometimes that demands a change. That can be true in the duties of Catherine Dunlap, who has been credited for a beautiful job in developing downtown growth. I feel she will find success in whatever she pursues.

I am looking forward to a developer whose expertise can restore the hustle, bustle and charm that downtown Cape once had. I feel sure of its return.

PAULA E. KEMPE, Cape Girardeau