TOWN MEETING ABOUT RIVER CAMPUS TONIGHT

Vision 2000, the city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University will hold a town meeting tonight on the Historic Seminary Redevelopment Project.

The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the seminary grounds off Morgan Oak Street.

Residents will be able to ask questions about the redevelopment project, a joint effort between the university and the city.

The $35.6 million project would convert the old seminary into the university's River Campus to house the theater, drama, arts and music programs, a performance hall, theater and the University Museum.

Voters are being asked to approve increasing the hotel-motel tax from 3 percent to 4 percent and extending it from 2004 to 2030 to help fund the project. In addition, voters are being asked to extend, but not increase, the city's restaurant tax from 2004 to 2030.

The two tax measures, if approved, would raise $8.9 million to help fund the project.

The university is raising $8.9 million through private gifts and donations, and university officials will ask the Missouri Legislature to appropriate $17.8 million for the project.

Refreshments will be served during tonight's town hall meeting, and a video presentation on the project will be shown.

Residents should bring lawn chairs.

In case of rain, the meeting will be held at the Osage Community Centre.

For more information, call 335-8556.