DREAM Initiative

Cape Girardeau would seem to be ahead of the curve being projected in Gov. Matt Blunt's DREAM Initiative. The plan the governor announced last week in a fly-around would help the state's smaller communities redevelop their decaying downtowns.

DREAM is an acronym for Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance for Missouri. Up to 10 Missouri communities will receive downtown redevelopment assistance from the state over the next three years. The dream is to help smaller towns marshal the same downtown development effort and funding urban areas are capable of.

In Cape Girardeau, Old Town Cape has been working toward that very goal for a number of years. The city would seem a prime candidate for the governor's program because it has a good chance of succeeding. More than $7 million in public and private money has been invested downtown since 2005.

Jackson also has a leg up, achieved by putting its uptown area on the National Register of Historic Places. The city is pursuing $400,000 in enhancements for the district through grants.

The smaller communities in Southeast Missouri ought to explore how this program might benefit them as well. Scott City's Old Illmo district would seem a good candidate for redevelopment with its many fine old under-used buildings.

Applications are due Aug. 1.