City applies for grant for business-park development

An application for the city of Cape Girardeau to obtain a community development block grant for its planned business park is moving forward.

The grant, if all goes through, will partly pay for infrastructure, including extension of water and sewer lines and street paving to help draw businesses into the park.

A legal notice published in Wednesday's Southeast Missourian indicated the city soon will request a release of grant funds from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Estimated cost of the infrastructure project is $1.4 million. Half would be provided by the grant, which is administered by the state Department of Economic Development and provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The project title in the legal notice is "city of Cape -- LaSalle Development Infrastructure/Pepsi." The notice refers to an 18-acre parcel and a distribution center, although on Thursday city manager Scott Meyer did not confirm whether the city has reached a deal with any company for a development in the business park.

Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, is working with the city to develop the business park. He said the notice was "in anticipation of going forward and making a request" to the Department of Economic Development, but did not confirm any plans for a development in the park.

As a requirement for the infrastructure grant and before assistance is provided, local governments "must identify the businesses located or expected to be located in the area to be served by the public improvement," according to the Department of Economic Development.

Last year, the city bought a 247-acre tract for the business park from the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation for $6 million. About 150 acres of that at the Interstate 55-East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange are planned for the business park. City officials have said they hope that portion will contain distribution centers, light manufacturing, technology-related businesses and some retail development.

As part of the grant application, a required environmental review was performed. According to the notice, the city found the development will have "no significant impact" on the environment.

The city also has committed $1.2 million generated by Isle Casino Cape Girardeau for installing a sewer line through the park. Meyer has said two components, utilities and transportation, are needed to attract developers. Extensions of LaSalle Avenue and Veterans Memorial Drive will part of the transportation portion, along with the access to Interstate 55.

At its Sept. 9 meeting, Cape Girardeau's city council passed a resolution that authorized a contract for grant administration with the planning commission.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

LaSalle Avenue, Cape Girardeau, MO

Veterans Memorial Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO