OTHER EFFORTS TARGET DOWNTOWN AREA

As part of the effort to make the most of our history in Cape Girardeau, the idea of a downtown historic district keeps coming up. There already are at least three other efforts under way in this regard: Placing buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places, obtaining landmark designation from the Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission and plans to revitalize the downtown area through the Downtown Inc. program.

The national register has the least red tape involved. Landmark designation comes with a lot of regulations. Downtown Inc.'s main thrust is to get everyone to pull the same direction. But a historic district can quickly become encumbered with all kinds of locally imposed restrictions, guidelines, regulations and rules that aren't necessarily voluntary.

Is such a district really needed, given all the other programs?