For close to 30 years, the section of the Mississippi River floodwall on Water Street between Main and Independence streets has provided a view of nothing but gray concrete. That started to change late last year as the first two colorful and bold images of Cape Girardeau's history appeared, bringing the dull wall to life.

More than a year and 22 panels later, the painting of the Mississippi River Tales Mural is nearing completion, although the transformation of Water Street likely will continue in the coming year with plans to showcase the mural by constructing a reading rail with lights and expanding the sidewalk.

Right now, however, the artists painting the mural -- Thomas Melvin, Cameron Pfiffner, Craig Thomas, Megan Thrower and Amanda Thornberry -- are just trying to complete their work before winter arrives.

"We thought we'd be done about this time," said Melvin, the Chicago artist hired by the River Heritage Mural Association to oversee the painting of the mural. "Weather permitting, we'd be done before the snow flew. That was the idea, and it looks like we might make it."

He said everything north of Broadway is pretty much done. South of Broadway there are details that need to be worked on.

The recent bout of rainy weather, vacations and having to wait for new shipments of a special paint to arrive from Germany have set the artists back several weeks. Despite the delays, neither Melvin nor mural association president Tim Blattner claims to be worried.

"We were certainly expecting to get it done this fall, but if it took a little longer to get it done right, then that's OK, too," Blattner said.

Once all the panels in the mural are finally painted, the focus will move to the rest of the project. That includes a reading rail to be erected about 25 feet away from the murals, separating the sidewalk from the train tracks. Atop the rail will be interpretive signs that explain each panel and provide the names of the sponsors.

Attached to the reading rail will be lights that will allow people to view the murals at night. To provide room for people to walk and read the information provided, the sidewalk running parallel to the floodwall will be widened to 6 feet wide from the current 3 feet and will be made of red paving stones.

The idea is to encourage people to walk around downtown and view the murals.

"You can't really see the murals by car," Blattner said. "You can't see them, read about them or enjoy them unless you get out of your car and walk. You can't possibly get the full benefit by driving by."

According to Blattner, these additions will likely be completed sometime in the spring, but city planner Kent Bratton says nothing is likely to happen until the Cape Girardeau City Council makes a decision on a proposal to make Water Street a one-way southbound street.

The city council was first presented with the proposal in February and is still discussing possible plans.

"There's been no final decision made on anything," Bratton said. "The whole thing is really up in the air."

While it is generally agreed that the sidewalk needs to be expanded to make room for the reading rail, little else has been finalized.

Parking issue

First there is the parking issue. If the sidewalk is widened and Water Street remains a two-way street, parking on the west side of the street will have to be eliminated.

To make as many parking spaces available as possible, the street would have to made one-way with angled parking on the east side.

But making Water Street into a one-way street poses problems because Main Street is already a one-way southbound street. There has been discussion about either turning Main Street into a two-way street again or making it a one-way northbound street.

"We're still in the discovery process," said council member Evelyn Boardman. "We want to have a nucleus of consent and have happy store owners downtown. I think that will happen, but there's more technical issues that still need to be discussed.

"We want to make sure whatever we do can work the best for the most people," she said.

The painting of the mural has gone more smoothly. While the progress may be a bit behind schedule, both artist and organizer are pleased with the way the mural looks.

"It's everything I hoped for and more," Blattner said.

Blattner also said it is the consensus of the association that the mural will become a major attraction for the downtown area and help downtown merchants by bringing more people to that part of the city.

Additions, removals

Melvin is also pleased with the mural, even if it does not exactly follow his original designs.

"I've gone back and added things that weren't in the original plan as well as taking things out that we didn't want," he said. "It's been open to change, and to the River Heritage Mural Association's credit, I feel I have the license to do that."

It has been two years since Melvin first became involved with the project, although he was not officially hired until last year. In that time he has become extremely familiar with the history of Cape Girardeau as well as its people, many of whom have served as models for people depicted in the mural.

Leaving behind the mural and the city will be somewhat bittersweet for him.

"It's been such a great time, it really has been wonderful," he said. "I'll have to make good on all the promises to come back here."

Even if Melvin never made it back to Cape Girardeau, his images are now part of the city's identity. In addition, he and all the other painters who have worked on the mural will be acknowledged on the final panel, which will include all of their names.

The initial panel painted on the north end of the floodwall includes Carolina parakeets, once plentiful in the area but now extinct. The final panel will include the image of a cliff sparrow that is still common in the area.

"It will be a bookend, just like the first panel," Melvin said.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182