Old Town Cape to hold annual dinner today

Cape Girardeau's organization dedicated to downtown revitalization will celebrate contributions by key players in its efforts to improve the community tonight during its annual dinner. The organization also will celebrate a year of growth in downtown activity and the addition of several events.

New on the list for Old Town Cape in 2012 were a building facade improvement program, which spruced up the look of buildings in the downtown area at the same time the city completed a new streetscape along Broadway. Other events, like the popular Cape Riverfront Market, brought people to the streets each warm Saturday. The organization's Commercial Open House provided a chance for investors to visualize a business thriving in a downtown location.

Old Town Cape added staff to keep up with demand for services, and reached some smaller goals -- like making an online business directory more user-friendly.

Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape, will lead recognitions of a business, a volunteer, a visionary and historic preservation efforts along with introducing the organization's 2013 board of directors at the dinner at 6 p.m. at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.

The past year has been a progressive one for the organization and for downtown, and Old Town Cape is looking forward to more of the same activity in 2013, Mills said Wednesday.

In 2012, Old Town Cape was part of a coalition that included the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce and the city government that emphasized downtown growth, Mills said.

"In the last year, we've had a significant uptick in economic development activities. People have been contacting us a lot about locating businesses and opening new businesses, and also about opportunity to buy property downtown," Mills said. "More people are aware that we are an organization that can help with that."

Increased activity combined with launching events during the year led to the addition of a staff member, Janey Radford, who is the organization's development and resources coordinator. She will be responsible for volunteer and committee support, development and fundraising coordination and office management.

Volunteers were used to supplement the workload for the organization's other two full-time employees, Mills and project manager Nicholle Hinkle. Mills said volunteers logged more than 4,000 hours in 2012, and there still weren't quite enough hands to go around.

City manager Scott Meyer said the city saw a successful year working with Old Town Cape, which encouraged the upkeep of downtown with initiatives like a facade-improvement loan program, which offered low-interest loans to businesses to improve the look of buildings with painting, repairs and enhancements.

"We are glad they are able to offer what they do, because it makes a difference," Meyer said. "We work on a lot of things that have the same end in mind, and we all want a vibrant downtown. Sometimes they take the lead on things, and sometimes we do, but we work well together."

Laurie Everett, owner of Annie Laurie's Antiques, took advantage of the program to paint and upgrade the front of her business at 536 Broadway.

"It just needed a face-lift," she said. "It was something I had always wanted to do, but you know, it's expensive. At the same time, that's the face of your business. When the opportunity for the loan came about, it seemed like a perfect fit."

Old Town Cape has plans for an April open house to showcase commercial business space downtown. The organization hosted a similar event last fall.

An increase in funding from a deal worked out between the city and Isle Casino Cape Girardeau also is possible, but ultimately up to the city council, Mills said. The city has said it plans to help fund the organization from the Riverfront Region Economic Development Fund, set up to include three-tenths of one percent of the casino's gross gaming revenue.

The organization also won several awards in 2012 for downtown revitalization during the Missouri Main Street conference and this week received accreditation from the National Trust Historic Preservation Main Street Center and the Missouri Main Street Connection for the ninth consecutive year.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

418 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

536 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO