When Rosemary Kreiter first stepped into the abandoned house at 307 S. Pacific St., she had a vision. In a living room carpeted only with a layer of scattered debris and plaster walls chipped to expose the rotting wood beneath, Kreiter envisioned the light of a Christmas tree complete with presents beneath. In her mind, she laid out the floor plans for the first home she and her husband, Daniel, could call their own.

Now, six months later, through the efforts of the Cape Girardeau Community Development Block Grant Program, that vision is about to become reality.

In July 2002, the Missouri Department of Economic Development awarded Cape Girardeau a $500,000 grant to fund the Good Hope/Bloomfield Neighborhood Restoration Project. Under that grant, 17 houses were slated for rehabilitation. The Kreiters' home is the fifth one to be completed. The grant also provides assistance for low-income families like the Kreiters to buy these homes.

"Home ownership is important," said Steve Williams, housing assistance coordinator for the project. "With ownership comes more pride and that leads to a more stable community. We want as much home ownership as possible."

But all this is not made possible by the block grant fund alone. A host of other organizations have stepped in to help.

For the Kreiters, the grant provided half of the down payment on the house, the closing costs and the money for the house's rehabilitation. The United Way of Southeast Missouri provided the other half of the down payment, Wood and Huston Bank provided the mortgage financing, Consolidated Communities Service Group Inc. contributed housing counseling and the East Missouri Action Agency provided money from three additional grants. Furthermore, Lowes Home Store and Southeast Missouri Builders Supply donated paint, and Meyer Supply Company donated a plumbing fixture.

Daniel and Rosemary weren't just idle beneficiaries, either. They put in much of their own time and work, shoveling out debris, tearing down old plaster and rotten wood and trying to salvage what they could to help the effort along.

"When we first bought this place, some people told us we'd be better off just shoving the entire thing into the ditch and starting from scratch," Rosemary Kreiter said. But upon further inspection, she said that foundation and primary structure of the building were deemed sound. She also had an affinity for the old style of the house, although no one could tell her how old it actually was. While clearing out the kitchen, the Kreiters found letters from a previous owner, dated 1919.

In November, the major work began. The house received a complete overhaul, including a new roof, siding, windows, doors, electrical wiring, plumbing, furnace, air conditioning, carpet, completely new bathrooms, sheet rock and painting of the walls and ceilings and a reconstructed back porch. But the original banister, stairs, crown molding, cabinets and window trim were restored to maintain the house's old character. This was especially important to Rosemary.

Today, the house stands revitalized and ready to greet the Kreiters and their two children, Henry and Patricia. Daniel and Rosemary are eager to move from the house they've been renting, which is a third the size of their new dream home. If all goes to plan, Rosemary's dishes will be in the refinished white kitchen cabinets by next week.

Meanwhile, the shabby houses around 307 S. Pacific are awaiting their turns at rebirth through the block grant program. Williams said that funds are still available through this program to assist families in purchasing and/or rehabilitating other vacant homes in the area. Anyone interested can call Williams at 334-8326 for more information.

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137