The Marquette Tech District was created as a means to develop the tech community in Cape Girardeau.

James Stapleton, through the co-working space and technology incubator Codefi, is helping see that to fruition by providing the necessary infrastructure to entice talented people in the area to stay in the area and encourage other entrepreneurs and tech-based businesses to join the community.

In Codefi's current facility of 7,000 square feet, private offices are in high demand.

"One of the reasons we ran out of that space is because of the number of tech startups we have started through the 1st50k startup competition and other local entrepreneurs who are starting to work here now on their tech businesses," Stapleton said. "So the more of those companies we attract and develop, the more of that space they want."

In response to the demand, Stapleton said three floors of the Marquette Tower have been claimed by Codefi. With 19,000 square feet of private offices, conference rooms, the Marquette Tech District will have ample room to accommodate a growing tech community.

As enticing as the space itself, Stapleton said, is the gigabit internet service planned for the office. The fiber of the network will be installed directly into the Marquette Tower, and the Codefi offices will have direct connection into it.

"This is a very fast internet connection," Stapleton said. "A million bits of information per second, where most people have less than 100 megabytes of data accessible on their network."

The availability of the technology will accommodate the needs of tech-based companies and make it easier for them to move to the area, Stapleton said.

In addition to the private fiber-optic network allowing tech companies the Internet speed they need to function in the competitive tech market, the Marquette Tech District will offer free Wi-Fi to those in the building not directly connected to the fiber route, as well as a segment of the greater downtown area.

From the moment Codefi was founded, it set its sights on growing the tech community, pushing the boundaries past the Old Federal Building offices to become part of a growing technology community, Stapleton said.

While traditional economic sectors are facing challenges, "it's important we look to the sectors that are going to be growing," Stapleton said. "That's really what the Marquette Tech District is all about."

Missouri jobless rate remains steady

The Missouri Department of Economic Development reports the unemployment rate for March held at 4.2 percent. The national unemployment rate in March was 5 percent.

The state's jobless rate has fallen 1.1 percent in the past year, and the number of jobless residents has dropped by more than 30,000, the agency reported.

Business licenses

• Serendib Food Services LLC is a mobile food-service business owned by Rebbeca D. Ramanayake.The anticipated opening date was April 14.
• Beauty by Lakiesha is a mobile cosmetology business owned by Lakiesha Bland. The anticipated start date is May 1.
• Rendezvous Conference Center and Banquet Facility, dba Ray's of Kelso, 3257 William St., has changed owners. The business was purchased by Sonjay Fonn of Cape Girardeau. It was owned by Ray and Cindy Ressel.
• Candy Corner LLC, dba Love N Confection, 3049 William St., is a candy store in West Park Mall owned by Sonjay Fonn. The anticipated opening date is May 1.
• Cape Gourmet Foods LLC, dba The Spice of Life, 3049 William St., is a retail store in West Park Mall owned by Sonjay Fonn specializing in chocolate candy, spreads and jellies. The anticipated opening date is May 15.
• Aphrodite Granite and Marble Inc., 1920 N. Kingshighway, is a retail granite-slab showroom owned by Tony Xenos. The anticipated opening date is May 17.
• The Candle Cottage, 225 Independence St., is a candle and bath and body supply store owned by Margaret and John Ramey. The anticipated opening date is May 1.
• Home Sweet Home Cleaning Services is a home-based business owned by Joyce Owens, offering household cleaning services. The anticipated opening date was April 11.
• Terry McDowell Design LLC is a home-based interior-design business owned by Terry McDowell. The anticipated start date was April 16.
• Cape Mini Storage has changed ownership. The business, 1915 Golden Eagle Court, formerly owned by Church Enterprises, now is owned by Grey Wolf Investments LLC.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630