Playhouse funding

The Southeast Missouri Children's Museum has gutted the first floor of what used to be the Walther's building at 502 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The space eventually will become the Discovery Playhouse with hands-on displays that will be both fun and educational.

The work on the downtown project so far has been made possible by $220,000 in donations and hundreds of hours of volunteer labor. Now the project needs plumbing and electrical work and other finishing touches that will cost $70,000. This is an opportunity for individuals and businesses in the community to provide support.

Businesses that donate can take advantage of a 50 percent tax credit, and individual donations to the not-for-profit organization also are tax-deductible.

In addition, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is recommending that the city match up to $68,000 in donations to pay for operating expenses once the museum opens. That money would come from Convention and Visitors Bureau funds raised by a hotel-motel-restaurant sales tax designated for tourism. The city council is to take this up at its meeting Monday.

Donations to the Discovery Playhouse may be sent to the Southeast Missouri Children's Museum, P.O. Box 1251, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702.