Church renovating former synagogue in downtown Cape

A church that has taken up residence in a former synagogue in downtown Cape Girardeau is bringing new life and plans for improvements to the historic building.

The B'nai Israel Synagogue at 126 S. Main St. has seen various but limited uses for many years. The synagogue, built in 1937 in Spanish and Islamic styles, saw more regular Jewish religious use into the 1970s. But by the late 1980s, it held only limited worship services because of the decline of the area's Jewish population.

In 2012, a multicultural, nondenominational Christian church led by Adrian Taylor moved in.

Lighthouse Breakthrough International Ministries holds regular services in the former Jewish place of worship twice a week. During the last year, members of the church have been performing interior rehabilitation to the building. Now they are taking things further by planning for an addition, coupled with more renovations.

The building is owned by Merriwether Investments, a company run by John Wyman of Cape Girardeau. Working with the company, Taylor said the church has applied for a zoning change from residential to commercial business.

The change, if approved by the city, will allow a plan to build more sanctuary space for the church's growing membership and lay the groundwork for the church to preserve the building's original look, Taylor said.

"I didn't want to continue just wearing out the facility, because it is a very old building," Taylor said, "so part of our expansion idea is to be able to preserve the current structure and have it available for the community for the future."

The church has repainted and repaired some of plaster inside and added bathrooms, Taylor said.

Rezoning of property will aid the church's plans, according to city planner Ryan Shrimplin, because the commercial business designation won't require the property to include off-street parking as a residential designation requires.

Taylor said the church's efforts have drawn support from the community, which is interested to see what happens to the historic building.

"We've been excited that people have expressed interest, and it really made us want to preserve it even more," he said.

Merriwether Investments had the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. A museum and a children's library were several ideas that came up for the building but didn't materialize. Before the church moved in, the building was being used as a private studio.

A building permit for interior remodeling was issued to the church as it used and made improvements to the building.

Taylor said the church is developing plans for the expansion and plans to speak to architects about the best use of the space and what would be least intrusive to the structure's historical integrity.

Merriwether Investments bought the building from Martin Hecht, the Jewish owner of the former Hecht's retail stores, in 2003, with the hope of saving the building, according to Southeast Missourian archives.

A public hearing on the zoning change will be held by the city's planning and zoning commission at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 in the city council chambers at 401 Independence St. Shrimplin said city staff recommend approval of the rezoning because nearby properties also are designated commercial business.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

126 S. Main St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.