LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: TRAFFIC QUESTIONS DOOM BOYD PROPOSAL

To the Editor:

Having reviewed the proposals being offered by both vendors for the riverboat gaming development, I believe the obvious choice for the future of Cape Girardeau is the Lady Luck proposal.

In the Boyd Group proposal, the conceptual drawing offered clearly shows Main Street as a four-lane street, running north-south in front of the development. The remainder of downtown is cleverly obscured from view by the present Boatman's Bank downtown facility. The obfuscation is necessary, as the damage that would be done to downtown Cape in the effort to handle the traffic that would be carried by this four-lane street would be tremendous. There is currently no street in that area capable of handling that amount of traffic. Widening the existing streets would require the destruction of some downtown buildings, as there currently exists insufficient right-of-way. It would appear that the proposal the Downtown Merchants Association touts as their redemption may, in fact, cause their demise.

The Lady Luck proposal being located along existing or proposed highway routes offers easy access with minimal adverse impact on the downtown area. Access to the site from I-55 via Highway 74 provides adequate access to the facility until the new Highway 34 is opened.

The Boyd Group proposal shows the existing property reduced in width by approximately 25 feet, in order to accommodate the additional two lanes of Main Street, and by a similar amount on the river side of the property, in order to extend Water Street to provide a service road to the facility. In the remaining property, they propose to erect a shopping facility, lounge, and parking garage. Clearly this is a pipe dream, as the property is inadequate in size to allow for this much construction. The artistic presentation is attractive, but not realistic.

It is my belief that the reality will fall far below the expectations raised by the conceptual drawing.

DUSTIN THOMPSON

Cape Girardeau