B Magazine: Revitalizing history: Marquette Tower's transformation into a vibrant business ecosystem

For a building nearly a century old, the Marquette Tower at 338 Broadway in Cape Girardeau has a lot going on inside of it. Built in 1928 for use as a hotel, it has transitioned to a business space. One company taking advantage of this development is business incubator Codefi, which has maintained a presence at Marquette Tower for the last decade.

Codefi’s working space hosts more than 40 businesses across three floors. While the businesses vary from technology companies to insurance agencies to beauty care providers, they allow just one employee in a single suite or several across a larger space. For many business owners, the Marquette Tower provides opportunities not available anywhere else.

Primo locations

Primo Vino and Cask managing partner Keller Ford said his company was one of the first to set up shop within Codefi’s working space. He said the office in Suite 514 is a place he can head to when he needs to work in peace.

“It’s big enough. We can have two desks and two computers, but it’s not huge. We don’t need that much space,” he said. “… In general, it’s always been a nice community. There have been all kinds of different businesses in here, people into certain things.”

Ford is originally from the Cape Girardeau area, though he later moved to Arizona and then California, before returning to Southeast Missouri. At 18, he started working in the restaurant business as a server and after he turned 21, as a bartender. He participated in that industry for several years afterward. Over the next several years he worked at various local restaurants before stepping back to start a family.

“The restaurant business is a tough game. It’s nights. It’s weekends. It’s holidays. It’s long hours. You don't do it as a career unless you really love it,” Ford said. “Basically, we’re creating memories for other people. It’s just a balance. When I had young children, it didn’t make a lot of sense … it’s a little more manageable now, let’s jump back in and do some fun things and create some unique spaces for Cape Girardeau.”

Ford calls the Marquette building a comfortable community to work in. There is plenty of collaboration between the various businesses, he said, as well as social events to bring people together. In addition, his company owns Top of the Marq, the restaurant located on the seventh floor of the Marquette Tower. Ford said the restaurant, now in its fifth year of operation, serves as a finishing piece to the building. Primo Vino - Cask, chose an office right next to the stairwell for quick access to Top of the Marq. It’s just two flights of stairs away.

“I feel like Top of the Marq is the kind of place where people have company coming into town, where do you want to take them to showcase Cape? I feel like Top of the Marq is pretty high on the list,” Ford said.

The root of the building

Taylor McIntyre, a hairdresser who operates Exotic Roots in Suite 422, said her time at the Marquette Tower has been among the best in the business.

“This is the happiest I’ve been at a job and I really like how they work with you. They are open to help you,” she said.

Her journey as a hairstylist began in Memphis, where she was a college student at the time.

“I noticed, being in the braiding industry, you are able to actually make a living with that, so I just started braiding everyone’s hair on campus. Then, I went and got my braiding license, and now we’re here,” McIntyre said.

Originally from Sikeston, Missouri, McIntyre worked in Kansas City after graduation. While she was working there, she said a Southeast Missouri barber reached out and convinced her to join his practice.

“I really didn’t believe in myself as much as he did, but if it wasn’t for him I never would have been able to get into the shop,” she said.

McIntyre said she has been able to provide for her family for the last four years by working as a hairdresser. For the last two of those, she has worked inside the Marquette Tower. She said it allows her and other business owners to make connections and promote their companies to the people working around them.

“It’s a lot of people that you wouldn’t come in contact with, you’re able to get to know,” McIntyre said. “… It’s more than just a business. You’re a family. I like that people are more open around here.”

McIntyre’s hair studio offers various types of styling and services. A one-woman operation, she can only work on a single client at a time but said the Codefi workspace offers plenty of places for customers to relax and wait for their session to start. Some customers might be shy, she said, particularly if they have hair-loss conditions like alopecia, and the one-on-one setting works better for them.

“I’m just able to provide a more comfortable workspace. Being in a shop is nice, but being able to provide the one-on-one with your client, they’re able to talk to you. You’re like a therapist to them,” she said.

McIntyre said she was encouraged to make the suite hers, which is decorated with plants and stocked with snacks for her customers. Exotic Roots is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Caring for clients

Ray Goines is the president and chief executive officer of 180 Healthcare, a health management company he founded after acquiring a medical clinic that was scheduled to close. 180 Healthcare operates in 13 Southeast Missouri locations, and Goines works in a corner office overlooking Broadway Suite 503 of the Marquette Tower.

“When I sold the clinic a few years ago to focus on 180 Healthcare I was told that space was available at the Marquette. I thought this location would connect me with a variety of people, as many start-up companies are established there,” Goines said.

He said he’s made several friends in the building and enjoys his office space. He was originally in a smaller office before relocating a few doors down.

Born in Sikeston, Goines has been involved in numerous industries over the years. He started a 21-year cable news career in Texas in 1979, eventually taking positions across Kansas, Indiana and Missouri. He also owned four Save-A-Lot grocery stores in Southeast Missouri during the 1990s. Each industry has presented its unique challenges, but Goines said he enjoyed them all.

“Over the years, I have owned, operated and sold several other small businesses. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoyed the challenges of trying to make a difference in various fields, including the healthcare industry. In 2000, I [along with] my wife of 40 years and our son relocated to Cape Girardeau, where we have lived ever since,” he said.

Goines said he especially considered the Marquette Tower as a suitable office location because he could connect with companies in potential need of health insurance who also work in the building.

Business boom

For 43 years, the Marquette Tower functioned as one of the premier hotels of Cape Girardeau. After closing in 1971, the last of the city’s downtown hotels to do so, it remained vacant until extensive renovations could restore its former glory.

Business is now the order of the day there. In addition to the 40-plus companies based out of the Codefi spaces, the Marquette Tower hosts close to a dozen more businesses on different floors as well as the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce’s offices.

Ford said he heard it was originally considered to return to its hotel roots in becoming the Courtyard Cape Girardeau Hotel, but the dimensions weren’t quite right for a modern hotel. An adjacent building became the Courtyard, much to the benefit of the businesses that now call the Marquette Tower home.

Others in the Marquette Tower?

A diverse array of businesses call Marquette Tower home. From restaurants to therapists to technology start-ups, here's a selection of the companies that make the tower what it is today.

Caring Hands In-Home Care:

This company provides in-home care for the elderly and disabled. It has six locations and services most of eastern Missouri. Its Cape Girardeau office is at Suite 101 in the Marquette Tower.

The Ground-A-Bout

This coffee shop was founded in 2016 in Jackson by husband-and-wife team Bob and Serena Schooley. They have since expanded to Sikeston, Missouri, and two Cape Girardeau locations, including in Suite 102 of the Marquette Tower.

Creative Edge

A marketing team that services the real estate, health care, home services and manufacturing industries, they provide custom videos, content creation and digital advertising from their Suite 201 offices.

Sunflower Therapy

Licensed clinical social worker Jennifer Jarrett provides trauma therapy, first responder therapy and body image and self esteem services at Sunflower Therapy. She works out of Suite 315.

Classic Home Loans

Classic Home Loans, a division of Flanagan State Bank, has locations in Dexter, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston and Suite 326 in the Marquette Tower. They offer various types of loan programs.

Old Town Cape, Inc.

Old Town Cape promotes downtown Cape Girardeau events and businesses. It serves as an economic development and revitalization group for the city's downtown and is based out of Suite 401.

Rooted Web

A full-service marketing agency with a team of around 10 workers, Rooted Web is based out of Suite 423. Founder Jeff Gipson and his team provide social media, copywriting and web design services.

Nunnery Travels & Associates

Carol and Steven Nunnery are travel agents offering various trip packages from their Suite 431 office. They are part of Dream Vacations and, as such, are partnered with World Travel Holdings.

Evermore Psychotherapy

Lindsay Chapman, a licensed clinical social worker, provides trauma, grief, and group therapy services at her practice, located in Suite 433. Inspired by her appreciation for Taylor Swift, Chapman named her studio after one of the artist’s iconic albums.

Diamond Doll Lash Studio

This is an eyelash extension studio in Suite 438, run by certified lash technician Brooke Long. She started her business in May 2024.

Blessed Blades

James Macklin runs Blessed Blades, a men’s hair studio at Suite 441. He has been working there since June 2024. Macklin is also a real estate agent.

PumpTrakr

Farmer Nathan Holmes founded PumpTrakr to help manage irrigation systems. It is an app that allows farmers to manage their teams and track pump activity. Holmes is based out of Suite 512 of the Marquette Tower.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Cape Girardeau branch of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is at Suite 513 in the Marquette Tower. It matches youths with adults to provide mentorship opportunities.

Swipesum

This payment processing provider, founded by Michael Seaman, uses artificial intelligence to provide audits that identify hidden or inflated merchant fees in statements. It is located in Suite 602

SHO.AI

Sho Rust founded a tech startup using AI to help businesses manage their branding. It’s at Suite 603 of the Marquette Tower.

Parent ProTech

This online education platform teaches parents and educators how to safely help children navigate an expanding digital landscape. It operates out of Suite 605.

Vendoor

Founded by Adam Davis, Vendoor is an app-free platform designed to monitor third-party visits and provide business insights on the data collected. It is based out of Suite 608.

Stockhaus

Devon Edmonds and Matt Hildesheim founded this business in 2020. It is a digital wholesaler using an app to provide small businesses with the lowest-priced consumer packaged goods possible. It is located in Suite 610.

Cap America

Founded in Fredericktown in 1985, Cap America sells baseball caps and knit headwear. It operates out of Suite 611 in the Marquette Tower.

CENET

The Cultural Exchange Network, or CENET, has numerous employees working out of Suite 620. Authorized by the U.S. Department of State, it helps sponsor internships, summer work and training programs for exchange visitors to the U.S.

Top of the Marq

Taking up the seventh floor of the Marquette Tower, Top of the Marq Rooftop Lounge is a fine dining and cocktail restaurant.

Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce

The Cape Chamber has its offices on the first floor of the Marquette, with its address listed as 220 N. Fountain St. Along with the Chamber, economic development organization SEMO REDI also has offices at this location.