Cape to receive free planning to improve Red Star neighborhood

A North Carolina-based company’s offer of free urban planning could help revitalize Cape Girardeau’s Red Star neighborhood, community leaders say.

Benchmark Planning, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with an office in St. Louis, has agreed to provide up to 100 hours of pro bono urban-planning work for the Red Star area.

The city council is scheduled to vote today on a resolution to execute an agreement with the planning firm.

The Red Star Neighborhood Revival organization also would be involved in the planning effort. Jane O’Connell, secretary/treasurer of the neighborhood organization, welcomed the opportunity to plan future improvements.

“We are more than excited,” she said. “I think this is so wonderful.”

Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger, who has championed neighborhood-revival efforts, looks forward to the planning.

“We are really going to try to take advantage of that,” he said.

The neighborhood-improvement effort began about 1 1/2 years ago with creation of the neighborhood association, Rediger said.

“We are kind of at a point in time where we need to set some specific projects, he said.

Ryan Shrimplin, Cape Girardeau’s city planner, said, “We have had numerous discussions about doing neighborhood planning.”

He said the city government has not had staff to do such planning.

City staff and members of the neighborhood group plan to meet with representatives of the firm Oct. 10 and tour the neighborhood, Shrimplin said.

Benchmark Planning annually provides pro bono technical assistance to communities through a competitive process as part of “its dedication to serving local governments and fulfilling its professional obligations to the planning profession,” Shrimplin wrote in an agenda report to the city council.

Shrimplin added the company’s charitable efforts focus on “small-area planning, urban design, downtown development and economic-development projects.”

The city submitted the application for the Red Star neighborhood pro bono work.

“When the opportunity came up, we jumped at that,” Shrimplin said.

O’Connell and Shrimplin said they would like to see plans developed to turn vacant ground, resulting from past flood buyouts, into public space.

“We need to hear what we can put in the floodway,” O’Connell said.

She said she would also like to see plans developed to improve Cape Rock Park, which towers above the Mississippi River. O’Connell wants electricity to be run to the small park.

O’Connell and her husband regularly visit the park and maintain the site’s flower beds.

“I love the outdoors and I love growing things,” she said. “It is a spectacular view.”

Red Star Neighborhood Revival has an active membership of about 10 people, Shrimplin said. The group holds monthly meetings.

O’Connell said the organization is making progress. It now is set up as a not-for-profit corporation.

“We have started a cleanup,” she said.

The group plans to embark on a door-to-door membership drive. Membership is free, she added.

“We definitely are moving forward,” she said.

Shrimplin said convincing neighborhood residents the area can be revitalized remains a challenge.

“The biggest hurdle is getting people to believe this is for real. There is mistrust of government on a general level,” Shrimplin said

But O’Connell said view is changing.

“We are building trust,” she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Red Star neighborhood, Cape Girardeau, Mo.