Scott City's business climate: Three-fourths full or one-fourth empty?

Where many people see empty buildings, Paul Schock sees potential for growth.

If Schock's perception is right, then Scott City has a lot of growing room. In his own estimate, about 25 percent of the commercial properties in the city are vacant. A drive along Main Street or through Old Illmo will prove that estimate to be somewhat accurate -- large and small commercial properties sit empty, some with "For sale or rent" painted on the windows. Currently there are no takers, but Schock -- president of the city's Chamber of Commerce -- hopes to change that.

"We're trying to get people to wake up a little bit and realize that these vacant buildings would be good opportunity," said Schock.

The opportunity comes from lower rent and taxes in Scott City as compared to larger cities like Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

Commercial properties in Scott City rent and sell about for 30 to 40 percent less than similar properties in Cape Girardeau, said Tom Kelsey, a broker with Lorimont Place Ltd. Kelsey deals with many properties in Scott City and his company brokered a deal to bring a Buchheit's shipping operation to an empty warehouse in the city.

Kelsey said his company hasn't really had any problems leasing or selling property in Scott City, as long as the right customer is available.

"Most of our prospects are usually more neighborhood friendly," said Kelsey. "Most of us realize that Scott City is more like a bedroom community to Cape, so most of the time it's somebody who has some product or service to offer on the local level."

Starting a business in Scott City doesn't guarantee failure by any means. Several small businesses have succeeded and still do in the city.

Alvie and Gladys Baker successfully operated a grocery store there for 25 years.

"I think it's the person behind it, somebody with the initiative to push it," said Gladys Baker. "We worked many hours, sometimes until midnight. We were very successful."

The Bakers called it quits so they could retire. Joe McDaniel had a similar experience. He and his wife operated two businesses there -- a Laundromat and a beauty shop. The beauty shop was shut down when McDaniel's wife decided to retire, and the couple shut down the Laundromat, despite commercial success, due to vandalism. Now the McDaniels are having trouble renting or selling the spaces their businesses used to occupy.

"Sure you can have a successful small business in Scott City," McDaniel said. "But it seems like right now it's hard to rent the space out. Mine have been empty, one for about six months, the other for about a year."

Not all businesses are so successful.

One of Schock's properties, an old drug store in Old Illmo, recently housed a bakery that went out of business.

Schock and Mayor Tim Porch think part of the reason businesses haven't found homes in some of these empty spaces is due to a misconception about Scott City and it's relationship with Cape Girardeau.

"I think a lot of if has to do with people thinking that Cape is actually the center of industry and businesses and things like that," said Schock. "A lot of people are not willing to take the risk to venture outside that scope."

Porch said it seems that locals often pick up their goods in Cape Girardeau instead of supporting local business.

"So many of our people in town go to Cape, they just don't support their local businesses very well," said Porch. "And that doesn't have to do with the quality of our businesses."

But Porch thinks that can change.

"Naturally, if you offer them something that's equal to or better than, and they know that, they're going to shop local," Porch said.

For Dorothy Dees the "equal to or better than" isn't there in Scott City. She would rather drive to Cape Girardeau for her goods, since she can get better prices at larger discount stores.

But for Don Lands, the prices are close enough that his shopping is almost all done in Scott City. By staying local, he doesn't have to deal with the hassle of traffic and time driving to a bigger city, and the prices are comparable.

"You've got everything you need here," Lands said.

Jim Talley knows that business can be successful in Scott City. He's owned a computer business there for three years, and he and his wife recently opened Tank's convenience store in an abandoned building that once housed Coop's.

"The good thing is, in a small city, you know everybody," Talley said. "The drawback is we only live 8 miles from Cape."

Through his convenience store, Talley offers the items that people won't drive to a bigger city for -- gas, sodas, snacks and sandwiches.

Convenience is the key, and Talley said if businesses in small towns can concentrate on that, they can be successful.

The ideal situation for many of these spaces, said Porch, is possibly to bring in businesses that don't depend on walk-in purchases. Those businesses could get a great deal on office space in the city and lower their overhead.

Schock thinks that room exists in Scott City for any type of business, as proven by successes like the Bakers and Talleys. Inevitably some businesses will fail, but Schock said the 5,000 people in the town and residential development provide a climate in which business can thrive.

"Small towns can still maintain business," said Schock.

But a fresh perspective might be required.

"Sometimes it takes people from out of town to come in and bring up the excitement and the energy level," Schock said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182