Downtown winners

Three Missouri Main Street Downtown Revitalization Awards have recognized the positive efforts in Cape Girardeau to improve and revitalize the downtown district through efforts assisted by Old Town Cape. The awards were given last week in St. Louis.

Breakaway's Bar & Billiards on Main Street won a Downtown Revitalization Award for best building facade rehabilitation of more than $10,000. Concord Publishing, Rust Communications and the Southeast Missourian won the Business Excellence Award. Jim and Teresa Mauer won the Volunteer of the Year Award.

The winners represent the many efforts being made downtown. In recent years planning by Old Town Cape has resulted in improvements like the new Fountain Street extension currently under construction and a plan for future downtown development.

Look for even more important ideas for downtown revitalization to come from a steering committee looking into forming a new taxing district to fund improvements. That committee is chaired by Jim Mauer.

Encouraging business investment, efforts to promote and sustain a vibrant downtown and committing personal time and resources to improving the downtown district are key to building a better and brighter future.

Hats off to all the award winners.