SETTLING ON A SITE

For years, the former St. Francis Hospital building has been a community eyesore. Its location and condition seemed to discourage rehabilitation.

But the old hospital has been recently championed as a site for two separate projects: the proposed federal courthouse and as a one-stop-shop for social service agencies. The community would certainly benefit if a use could be found for the property and building, which fronts Good Hope Street.

Rep. Mary Kasten, a local committee of social-service representatives and interested citizens are hoping to turn the old building into a family resource center. They have been studying the possibilities for about a year.

Kasten thinks that housing various social service agencies under one roof would provide for a more efficient dissemination of services. It has also been suggested a satellite office of the Cape Girardeau Police Department could be housed at that location.

Kasten says a similar concept has worked well in other cities. An old hospital was transformed into a family resource center in downtown St. Louis.

It is an idea certainly worth investigating.

Several state workers toured the vacant building last week and will issue a report on the structure's condition and what it might cost to renovate it. This is valuable information that could fuel future development.

The Haarig Area Development Association, a group of business owners in the Good Hope and Sprigg Streets area, would like to see the proposed federal courthouse built on the hospital site. They point to low upfront costs and the fact the project would revitalize the area.

The federal government has indicated it wants to build the new courthouse in the immediate downtown area. But the board of directors of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to widen its search to include the old hospital. The site was also promoted at a public hearing held by the Cape Girardeau City Council Tuesday night.

The old hospital was built in 1913 and was used until St. Francis Medical Center opened at its current location near Mt. Auburn Road and William Street in 1976. For a time, the old building was used as a dormitory by Southeast Missouri State University, and it was later purchased by some local developers. In 1988, it was bought by Peter Kern of Denton, Texas. He has since died, and the property remains in his estate. The building has been the target of vandalism and graffiti.

The Kern family has indicated it would sell the building for $25,000 and the back taxes, which total about $13,000.

It is great to see the old hospital site promoted for any cause, much less two projects. Either proposal would certainly invigorate the neighborhood and rid the community of a real eyesore.