NEW ON THE BUSINESS SCENE: GOOD NEWS AND BAD IN DOWNTOWN CAPE GIRARDEAU

There's good and bad news in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The good news is that Mississippi River floodwaters have subsided and river buffs once again are able to step inside the floodgate for a close look at the river.

The bad news is that there's hardly a flood of buyers for downtown real estate. For the first time in some years for-sale and for-rent signs are posted in a number of downtown buildings.

"It's disappointing," says Evelyn Boardman, a longtime supporter of the downtown area. "But we've been down before and bounced back."

Five empty buildings can be counted in the 100 block of North Main, and three more will be vacated before year's end. Add two empty buildings in the 200 block of Main, and two or three more in the 100 blocks of Broadway and Independence, and that's a lot of empty space.

"It's been a long time since we've had this many empty buildings downtown," said Boardman. "Three of these structures are large ones a former antique mall with more than 26,000 square feet and an office furniture store of more than 40,000 square feet, and the block-long, multistory former Buckner-Ragsdale building which stretches from Main to Water streets."

"These things happen," said Scott Shivelbine, interim president of the Downtown Merchants Association. "We're seeing it all over town. The flood certainly didn't help matters, but we're still very positive about downtown."

Shivelbine said some good things are happening. "The Buckner building has been sold, and will eventually be developed. One of the vacancies downtown is a building which has been remodeled and is now for lease," he said.

"We have seen people come in the downtown area and do things," said Shivelbine. "Mollies Restaurant is open now, and is planning to reopen the old Baker's Big Burger facility. A new motorcycle shop has opened downtown."

At least five other new businesses have opened in the downtown area over the past few months Main Street Antiques, Step by Step shoe store, Heartland Antiques, Bare Necessities, Sibley's Bargain Book Store and Petals and Bows.

Three businesses vacating downtown are moving west into larger buildings recently purchased by their owners:

-- Broadway Baseball Card Shop, 4 N. Main, has purchased a building at 1856 Broadway and will open there by the first of October.

-- Sample Carpet and Decorating Center, previously at 19 N. Main, has moved to 407 N. Clark. The family-owned and -operated business was downtown for five years.

-- Gary & Company, a beauty salon at 105 Broadway for 25 years, recently purchased property at 1017 Harmony.

Two downtown businesses are calling it quits a consignment shop at the northeast corner of Main and Independence, which closed recently, and Jean World, 38 N. Main, which will close by the end of the year

Office Furniture World, which leases the former Montgomery Ward building, will also close its downtown operation by the end of the year. The building, owned by Don Lowe of OFMCO Co. of Sikeston, contains more than 40,000 square feet, 30,000 on the ground level. A Lowe spokesman said the building is for sale or lease.

OFMCO, one of the nation's largest buyers and sellers of new and used office furniture, will open a retail operation in the building if it does not sell or lease, said the spokesman.

The former Rivertown Mall structure at 5 N. Main, which runs from Main to Spanish streets, has been empty since April. It consists of more than 26,000 square feet, 13,000 on the first floor.

One downtown businessman said he would like to see another antique mall downtown.

"When Heartland Emporium was open, it attracted a lot of traffic, which spilled over into other businesses downtown," he said. "The old Montgomery building would be ideal for such an operation."

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Cape Chimney Sweeps has expanded its business.

The newest division of the Cape Girardeau firm is The Stove Shop, which opened recently at 6 N. Sprigg.

"We have a full line of stoves, inserts, smoke alarms and all fireplace accessories," said Ed McElfresh, who operates a furnace-duct cleaning and chimney sweep business here. "We have anything that has to do with fireplaces."

McElfresh's wife, Gail, operates the store, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

McElfresh founded his chimney sweeps business in 1987.

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Witz Restaurant, Route 146 in East Cape Girardeau, Ill., will be giving its customers something to remind them of the "Great Flood of 1993" a bottle of Southern Illinois seepwater.

"My mother always said if you get a lemon make some lemonade," said Betty Colyer, restaurant owner. "In other words, you make the best of any situation."

Seepwater in Southern Illinois has been a problem this summer.

"We've been fortunate," said Colyer. "Customers have been able to get to our restaurant throughout the flood and seepwater."

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Gary & Company, the beauty salon at 105 Broadway for 25 years, has moved to 1017 Harmony.

"The structure on Harmony Street housed a beauty shop for several years," said Gary Stroder, who recently purchased the property. "I've always liked the Harmony location for a beauty salon."

Stroder said the move more than doubled his space and provided better parking facilities. "We have six operators here now," he said.

"I like the downtown area," he said. "But when this opportunity came along I decided to take it."

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The Runway Restaurant has opened at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.

"We opened last week," said Mary Bergen, owner and operator of the restaurant.

Bergen has more than 35 years experience in restaurant operation. She owned the former Bootheel Restaurant in Dexter and helped open Fiddler's Restaurant there.

"We'll be offering a full menu here," said Bergen, who moved to the Cape Girardeau area from Dexter in December.

The menu includes a full breakfast and a daily plate-lunch special. "We'll be adding a salad bar soon," said Bergen. "And a lounge will be added in the near future."

Restaurant hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

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Hobart Sales and Services is in a new location.

The food equipment firm tripled its space when it moved to 711 Good Hope from 231 S. Ellis.

The company sells all types of food equipment for commercial kitchens, including mixers, slicers, grinders and, or, stoves.

"We sell to supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals, or prisons any business or entity that uses a commercial kitchen," said Ted McClelland, owner of the firm since 1982.

The company calls on accounts in 35 counties in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky. It employs nine people.

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RV Productions Inc., a screen printing and embroidery design company, recently opened at 1606 Independence.

Jeff Vandeven, who has returned to Cape Girardeau from the Kansas City area, and Bruce Robert are owners of the business. Vandeven worked with a screen printing and embroidery company five years and Robert has worked in sales the past five years.

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Four new home businesses will demonstrate their products during a special open house to be held at the Jackson Knights of Columbus Hall Sept. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The businesses are:

-- Reflections by Marsha, photography, owned by Marsha Birk.

-- Munchies & More, catering, owned by Vanessa Terry.

-- Gina's Dolls, owned by Gina Beckett.

-- Country Floral Co., owned by Maxine Hale and Roxie Lindsay.