Old Town Cape open house will feature 16 commercial properties

Old Town Cape will host an open house event in the coming week to spotlight vacant commercial properties in the downtown Cape Girardeau area that the organization hopes to see filled.

The event is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday and features 16 properties, including: 230 North Sprigg St, 523 Broadway, 407 Broadway, 411 Broadway, 132 North Main, 339 Broadway, 120/124 North Main, 101 William St., 260 North Middle St, 32 North Main, 41 South Sprigg St, 107 North Main, 308 North Main, 715 Broadway, 235 Broadway and 824 Independence.

"This is a great opportunity for the community to see some of the buildings they've been curious about," Steven Stovall, SEMO faculty member and chair of Old Town Cape's open house subcommittee, told the Southeast Missourian. "It also benefits the community as we fill some of these buildings that have sat empty for a while, thereby improving the downtown experience."

This is a concept Stovall said has worked in other communities. Old Town Cape executive director Liz Haynes said the properties include "broad representation" as it relates to size and location.

Downtown Cape Girardeau has experienced a resurgence in recent years. It wasn't long ago that you could drive down Broadway and other nearby streets only to find empty building after empty building. Others were underutilized. But many improvements, both in terms of public infrastructure and private investment, have been made over the last several years. The open house will hopefully serve as a vehicle to keep the momentum going.