Construction progresses in Cape, Jackson and Scott City

The recent announcement from a local development group is exciting. They plan to transform the H.-H. Building and the Marquette Center into a Courtyard Marriott Hotel and redevelop the Marquette Tower into the Marquette Tech District, focusing on tenants related to technology and job creation. Certainly, this will be a game changing project for Cape Girardeau.

Add that to other recent exciting projects and you can't help but be amped about what's happening in the Cape/Jackson/Scott City area. The spec building is nearing completion in Jackson, steel is going up on the sports complex at Center Junction, construction continues on the new Drury Hotel and conference center, construction has started on several projects in the Cape Girardeau School District and construction will begin soon on a new police and fire station in Cape. Also, look for a couple of positive announcements soon about projects in Scott City.

And in the past year Buchheit acquired a 54,000-square-foot building on Nash Road, Ole Hickory Pits built its first building on Nash Road, Select Plastics opened a new line at their facility in Scott City, Pepsi opened in the Business Park, SI03 purchased property in the Business Park, Verdesian (formerly QC Corporation) purchased a 400,000-square-foot building on Nash Road, Purchase Clinic announced a new sales and customer service center in downtown Cape and Dunkin' Donuts opened in Cape, etc. Whew!

Cape Girardeau County is in the top ten growth counties in Missouri and Cape Girardeau was named the 40th best small city (out of more than 1,200) in the U.S. to start a small business.

Sometimes it's important to just pause and reflect. While we still face challenges, we have so many positive things to celebrate!

John Mehner is president and CEO of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.