Federal building

A decision on what happens next to Cape Girardeau's former federal building may not be too far off. Tuesday the online auction for the 47,867-square-foot Broadway facility faces its first deadline.

The auction for the building started on Nov. 9. As of Friday afternoon there were two bids for the facility, with the top bid set at $50,000.

Though the auction end date is tomorrow, Angela Brees, public affairs officer for the heartland region of the General Services Administration, said that if a bid comes in on the last day, the auction will continue for 24 hours. The minimum bid increment increase for the facility is $25,000, and a deposit of the same amount is also required.

City leaders and business owners are working to make Cape Girardeau's downtown a more aesthetically appealing and vibrant area. Owners and developers have stepped up in recent months to announce and begin work on a number of dilapidated buildings.

Going forward, what happens to the federal building will be an important factor in downtown Cape Girardeau's redevelopment and general atmosphere. It's our hope that whoever purchases the building, be it a public or private entity, is committed to the site's development and develops a strong partnership with the downtown community.