Adaptive reuse: Downtown Cape Girardeau sees flurry of business activity

A lot more business activity can be seen these days in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Driving east toward the riverfront from near Southeast Missouri State University, many renovation projects are in the works. Once-numerous "for sale" and "for rent" signs are starting to disappear.

From the 1300 to 900 block of Broadway, there's an overhaul of one old restaurant, a "sold" sign on another and a former garage and car dealership turned into updated office space.

Mary McClary, left, and Betty Henson enjoy a stake and frites meal at 36 Restaurant and Bar Tuesday in downtown Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

In the 800 and 700 block, painting is taking place, and business licenses are filed. In the 600 block, a restaurant is reopening, and a university student-focused technology lab and business incubator is under construction.

Marla Mills, executive director of the downtown revitalization organization Old Town Cape, said she sees "a lot of progress."

The organization has a "business matrix" that outlines and tracks business needs and development in downtown. The most recent version was released in 2014, and the organization updates the document as businesses open and properties rent or sell.

Many of the locations identified in the business matrix are filled or have projects ongoing.

"There's been a lot of interest in the properties downtown," Mills said. "Buildings that had no interest for so long are now getting interest or have sold. That's a really good sign."

In the lower Broadway district, defined by Old Town Cape as Middle Street to Spanish Street, the most movement has been at the former federal building at 339 Broadway, now home to the co-working community Codefi, which opened in November and this week announced it has added 1,000 square feet of office space.

Also in the building are a law firm, medical industry companies, photography studios and other offices. Joseph Uzoaru, a developer and Cape Girardeau city councilman, bought the 50,000-square-foot building in 2014 from an out-of-state owner and said flexible leasing options have helped fill the space quickly.

Mills said the building has "created a lot of synergy" she is hopeful may lead to the development of other large properties, such as the mostly vacant H&H building and the Marquette properties, which are expected to return to the market for sale after a public foreclosure auction put the Marquette Tower and Centre buildings under bank ownership.

"I think with the development of the federal building, people really thought that it would sit for a long time and not be developed," Mills said. "That's been very positive, and I love what they've done there, because in an essence, they've turned it around and used it for what it was supposed to be, which was offices."

The organization doesn't direct, Mills said, but encourages certain types of buildings in certain downtown areas be used for specific opportunities.

So far, the organization likes what it is seeing, she said.

A former bank at 325 Broadway is becoming the Center for Excellence in Mass Media, a partnership among Rust Communications, KFVS and Southeast Missouri State University to create a new facility for the university's student newspaper, The Arrow, and its television and video production program.

Farther east, at 121 Broadway, the old Keys music store building, built as a Masonic temple in 1891, is undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation to become the new Rust & Martin interior design firm. Owner and interior designer Mike Rust said he expects it will be open by June 1. Rust bought the three-story building in 2012.

"The people I talk to when I'm doing business say they come here, come to downtown, because we have a neat little city," he said. "Most of the business we get is from people who are out-of-towners."

Rust attributed downtown improvement partly to the development of the casino and the city's Broadway Corridor Improvement Project, which used casino revenue.

"There's a lot happening," he said. "And I think we are on the front edge of it. I really do."

Rust & Martin will double its space when it moves from its North Kingshighway location, using the first two floors of the newly renovated building for a retail showroom and other business purposes. Rust is developing a private penthouse apartment on the top floor.

He also is building patio seating along Spanish Street for Minglewood Brewery, a restaurant and craft brewery that opened in late 2014 on the first floor of the Keys building.

Before Rust's purchase, the old Keys Music Store was on a list of most visible vacant buildings compiled by the city and the historic preservation commission.

Rust said he plans to keep Ashley Bailey Kitchens & Baths/Rust & Martin Downtown at 127 N. Main St. open at least two more years to help drive business between the two downtown locations.

In several areas of downtown, there seems to be more coming than going, especially in restaurants.

At 132 N. Main St., Fonn Enterprises -- owned by Dr. Sonjay Fonn, a local neurosurgeon -- is renovating the former Buckner Brewing Co. into Olde Towne Cape Brewing Co., one of three downtown restaurants in the works under the same owner.

Laura Jones of Fonn Enterprises said Fonn has undertaken the projects because he feels "community is the most important thing."

"Dr. Fonn has expressed more times than I can say that he wishes to invest locally to support local businesses," Jones said. "When going downtown and seeing all those awesome places that need a helping hand, he wants to put his money into the local community and seeing these places come back to the way that they really could be."

Fonn opened The Bar at 117 Themis St. in December. He expanded the location, used in the movie "Gone Girl," to include a full restaurant, upstairs conference room and catering service.

Fonn Enterprises' next planned restaurant opening is the relaunch of Stevie's Steakburger, a 24-hour burger and fast-food joint at 600 Broadway that closed a few years ago. Jones said the restaurant will reopen in April.

Olde Towne Cape Brewing Co., which will feature on-site beer brewing and a food menu catered from the bar, is scheduled to open before July 4.

This fall, Fonn Enterprises plans to open Namaskar, an Indian restaurant, at 411 Broadway. The space was vacant for a few months until Fonn bought it. The storefront formerly housed Mediterranean on Broadway, which moved to 1027 Broadway in June. "Namaskar" is an Indian greeting.

At 36 N. Main St., a Cape Girardeau couple say they realized their dream by opening 36 Restaurant & Bar, a fine-dining restaurant.

John Eric and Vanessa Klein bought the vacant two-story building in August and have spent nearly all their time since renovating it. An upscale dining room, bar and kitchen are on the first floor, and areas for private parties are on the second floor, called The Loft at 36. The restaurant also plans to offer outdoor dining and has entrances from Water Street and Main Street.

The Cape Girardeau couple worked in fine dining locally for more than 10 years before opening their own business in February with 15 employees. The restaurant offers American-style fare with French and Italian influences.

"We're both drawn to downtown," John Eric Klein said, "and I think the community was wanting it."

He said he hopes the area around the restaurant will continue to develop with more stores, such as boutiques, that will complement upscale establishments.

Coin-op Cantina, an arcade and bar, is set to open this spring at 46 N. Main St., the former location of Cup 'N' Cork, the owners said recently. Cup 'N' Cork moved to 11 N. Spanish St. in August.

Farther north, developer Kenny Pincksten is building a five-unit luxury town house complex and commercial building on a site that held run-down duplexes.

Another recent development was the November expansion of Judith's Antiques and Gung Ho Militaria, which occupies 107 and 109 N. Main St. Several bars were in the former Hecht's clothing store at 107 N. Main St. until the antique business claimed the space.

Moves have caused recent downtown losses. The Cape Girardeau license office moved to Town Plaza at the end of January, and the women's boutique Philanthropy, 407 Broadway, on Monday confirmed plans to move to Park West Centre on Mount Auburn Road by the end of April.

Old Town Cape is planning an open house May 28 to highlight opportunities for developing underused commercial properties downtown, Mills said.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3632