Seeking new history: Centurion Development buys former Woolworth building at 1 N. Main St.

The exterior of 1 N. Main St. in downtown Cape Girardeau has not changed much over the years, but inside, there is a history of activity. The 20,000-square-foot property has been home to a five-and-dime, a furniture store, an antique shop and a handful of restaurants.

Inside, there are reminders of what the building was, but for years, it has sat vacant.

The property recently was sold to Centurion Development LLC, and developers Jason Coalter and Dustin Richardson have high hopes of bringing the long-dormant building back to life.

Past

F.W. Woolworth Co. opened on Main Street in downtown Cape Girardeau in 1914. The five-and-dime operated successfully for decades at 19 N. Main St. and eventually expanded in 1950 as part of what the Southeast Missourian called "the most pretentious upsurge" of that section of downtown Cape Girardeau in years.

The F.W. Woolworth Co. building at Spanish and Independence streets is seen in 1956 with congested traffic in Cape Girardeau.G.D. FRONABARGER ~ Southeast Missourian archive

The building at 1 N. Main is the result of the 1950 expansion.

The block-long store with two-tone brown brick and multiple entryways was advertised as one that "will rank high among retail stores in the State of Missouri." It featured air conditioning and a lunch counter as well as typical department-store merchandise on the street level.

Dave Hutson of Hutson's Fine Furniture recalled the second floor featured Woolworth offices and storage, as well as a number of aquariums.

"When we were kids, you could go up there and look at the fish and all the aquariums," Hutson said. "They used to sell fish."

Woolworth closed its doors in 1977, citing "requirements of efficiency and economic operation."

The old F.W. Woolworth Co. building, 1 N. Main St., is seen Tuesday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

Two years later, Hutson's family opened Furniture Fair, which operated there for over a decade.

"We used have a popcorn machine outside on the weekends, cooking popcorn for the people shopping," Hutson said. "It was such a good experience. I hated that Woolworth left, but it worked out for us."

After Furniture Fair left the building, a few other businesses moved in for shorter stays.

Madder Rose Antiques opened in 1997.

In 2001, Willy Jak's, a restaurant and nightclub, opened. The restaurant did well, but the flailing club prompted the owner to restructure and open Nick's Family Sports Pub.

Downtown merchants and civic leaders pause for a cup of coffee at the F.W. Woolworth Co. lunch counter in this undated photo, probably taken during the store's grand-opening event Oct. 8, 1959 after remodeling.G.D. FRONABARGER ~ Southeast Missourian archive

Though ownership changed hands after Nick's closed, the building itself has seen little activity since then.

Present

The building remains dormant, but reminders of the building's previous lives can be seen.

A neon sign from Nick's hangs high on one wall. On another, a mural of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which likely was new at the time of painting, can be seen. The area where comedy acts took the stage during comedy night at Willy Jak's stands midway between the Main and Spanish Street entrances.

On the second floor, large windows, some broken, provide light in an otherwise darkened and relatively open area. A painted white banister along a stairwell recalls the building's time as a department store. There is peeling paint, some rotting wood and much work to be done.

The downtown parking lot and river bridge are visible from an upstairs room in the former F.W. Woolworth Co. as seen Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

But Coalter said they see great potential in the building, so it was purchased by Centurion Development.

"We wanted to make sure it was in the hands of somebody that, when something is done to it, it's done very tastefully to complement our downtown," Coalter said. "We wanted to make sure we did our part."

Future

The building will be renovated, but its purpose has not been determined.

Richardson and Coalter said they'd like to see a restaurant open on the Main Street side of the building and an organic market on the Spanish Street side. Richardson envisioned the market supplying food for the restaurant in a farm-to-fork operation.

The second floor, the developers said, could be lofts or apartments, and the rooftop could feature a bistro or pavilion to overlook the bridge at night.

The building has a service elevator, but a new elevator would need to be installed to accommodate the new plan.

For now, the ideas are conceptual. The developers have not begun work on the building and are looking for tenants for the old Woolworth building as they focus on finishing the renovation of the Lorimier Apartment building.

There may be some historical tax credits available, Richardson said, but that's less likely because it's a commercial building.

Regardless, Richardson said they will aim to maintain the historical integrity and value of the building "like we did with Broussard's."

If the right people come along before the apartments are completed, Richardson said, they would not hesitate to begin renovations on the old Woolworth building before the Lorimier Apartments project is completed.

If they do not have a tenant lined up and the apartments are finished, they will begin renovations regardless.

"We've never let not having a tenant slow us down," Richardson said.

Though they have a vision for the building, the developers are not limited by it. Coalter said they simply hope to hear from innovative people interested in owning or operating a business who want to bring something exciting to the region.

"We're looking for creative ideas," Coalter said.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

1 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO

19 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, MO