STALLED: BUS STATION FRUSTRATES CITY LEADERS

Cape Girardeau city officials say they're frustrated at Greyhound Bus Co.'s inability to find a suitable terminal location here, but that there's little the city can do to assist the private company.

The last location for the Cape Girardeau terminal, the Spanky's convenience store at 353 S. Kingshighway, closed July 22 because the site wasn't properly zoned.

It was the fourth bus station here to open and close since March 1990. That was when Union Bus Depot at 16 N. Frederick, which operated the station since 1947, closed during a nationwide Greyhound bus strike.

Although residents have complained to city officials and the Cape Girardeau City Council about the lack of bus service, City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said the city is restricted from providing much help to a private company like Greyhound.

"I've got to emphasize that Greyhound is a private company and we have to be very careful," Fischer said. "If we subsidize them, maybe we ought to subsidize some other company."

The city manager said he's frustrated because the city's been getting a "bad rap" throughout the bus station saga. He said Greyhound officials have been hard to reach and, at times, uncooperative.

"We've been trying to find them a suitable location, but we have to fall short of joining in negotiations between a private company and a potential station agent," Fischer said.

"But the attitude we're getting from Greyhound, their response, is more the nature of `Have you found us a location?' I feel they're expecting us to find them a location.

"But when they operate with an agent, they pay them a percentage of gross sales and that's a business. We have to stay out of that."

Bob Hemperley, who operates a charter bus service called Hemperley Transportation, ran the former Cape Girardeau bus station on Frederick Street for years, before leasing the facility in 1981.

Hemperley said that given Greyhound's financial difficulties the company has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code it's difficult for Greyhound officials to make bus service to Cape Girardeau a priority.

"Greyhound's in Chapter 11 and no one knows whether they're going to come out of it or not," he said. "Right now, they're doing nothing but putting out fires. It's not their fault, they're just up against some tough economic times."

He said as multiple bus service to and from Cape Girardeau has diminished, so have profits for the local agent. But he said that even with a single bus line, the "business is still there."

Tom Clayton, Greyhound's customer service manager in St. Louis, said the company anticipates being out of Chapter 11 by Aug. 27.

"The bankruptcy judge has tentatively approved the reorganization plan and that should bring us out of Chapter 11," Clayton said.

He said the bankruptcy proceedings would likely have little effect on whether service is brought to Cape Girardeau.

Hemperley said he realizes the problem the city faces in that it doesn't want to be seen as trying to help a private company.

"The city doesn't want to seem to be going into competition with anyone private, but I think they could help out with a temporary building," he said. "It's a matter of helping to serve the public and helping Greyhound on a temporary basis."

Fischer said the city has offered the former Stovall Brick Co. office building on Broadview as a station site.

He said Cape Girardeau needs a bus service, and he believes there are a number of suitable locations and willing agents here.

Hemperley said the bus agency was profitable while he ran it, and could still be profitable for the right agent today.

"Cape Girardeau's a very desirable town," Hemperley said. "Anybody running a bus line would want to come to Cape.

"But I don't think anybody could make any money if that's all they were doing. It would have to be a second business for somebody."

Clayton said the company pays agents 10 percent of total receipts from ticket sales and freight. He said that, in the past, gross receipts from the Cape Girardeau station have totalled $175,000 to $200,000 annually.

"Because we're closed now, I'm sure once we reopened it might take a while to get back to that level," Clayton said. "But it would fit in real nicely with an existing business. That's what we're trying to do."

Fischer said the $18,000 to $20,000 potential income from the station would be attractive for a business that has the room and staff already on hand.

"I can't believe that some businesses in appropriate locations here in Cape Girardeau aren't interested," he added.

He said city staff members have been trying to help Greyhound find a suitable terminal for the past six months. He said the city has had to deal with three different Greyhound officials, the company has failed to return phone calls and has canceled two or three meetings in Cape Girardeau.

"We can't do everything for them," he said. "Even if this is a service we want for our citizens, we can't be put in a situation where we're negotiating for a private company.

"This is what we feel like they want us to do for them. They have to be aggressive in wanting to find a location. We are doing everything that we can as a government entity in telling them what locations are appropriate."

Clayton said that providing bus service to Cape Girardeau is "very important" to Greyhound. He said that what might appear as the company "dragging its feet" is really only part of the process of finding a location that meets its needs, the passengers', and the Interstate Commerce Commission's requirements.

"Greyhound is interested in getting service back in there, but we're not interested in putting it in vacant lots without lights or a building where people can get hurt," Clayton said.

"We need a full-service location, where we can sell tickets and freight and all the services that go with it.

"It's not that we're dragging our feet, but we're bound by ICC regulations for the type of facility we have, as well as Greyhound's own liability.

"At this stage of the game, the city, I feel, is trying their best. They proposed a good site for us and I would like to put the buses in there.

Fischer said the company currently is negotiating with a potential agent who's situated near the intersection of Interstate 55 and Route K.

But Clayton said that potential agent, the Thrifty Inn, has decided it no longer is interested in the station. Pete Poe, manager of the motel, couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday or Thursday.

Clayton said Bob Betts, Greyhound's customer service supervisor for Cape Girardeau, met with Thrifty Inn representatives Tuesday.

"What he reported to me is that they're not in the right zoning," Clayton said. "And after we discussed how Greyhound does business, they said they were no longer interested."

Clayton said Greyhound officials will inspect the Stovall site offered by the city either Tuesday or Wednesday. He said the site already has the proper zoning, unlike the Spanky's station on Kingshighway.

"It's a temporary location, but it's zoned correctly and it's not too far off our route," Clayton said. "It sounds real good. Hopefully, we'll look at it, and if everything looks good, we'll move our buses in there and get service back in Cape Girardeau."