Cape Girardeau City Council members voted unanimously to approve the first reading of the final development plan of Phase 1 for South Side Farms at their meeting Monday, April 17.

The plan will be voted on again as part of the consent agenda at the Monday, May 1, meeting.

South Side Farms is an ambitious revitalization project, meant to provide essential everyday life amenities to underserved areas in south Cape Girardeau.

The 16-acre plot at the corner of Walnut Street and Beaudean Lane is slated to be transformed into development with affordable housing, a grocery store, health clinic, restaurant and farm.

Phase 1 of the plan proposes 14 single-family detached dwellings, 12 townhouses, 16 multifamily units and a community building/early childhood learning center.

Jimmy Wilferth, interim executive director for South Side Farms, said the more than $10 million housing portion is fully funded -- through tax credits -- and was approved by the Missouri Housing Development Commission. South Side Farms is awaiting final closure on the property from MHDC.

In total, Phase 1 will take up around 5 acres, according to the development plan.

The phase will also include the construction of two private streets, a stormwater detention basin and the extension of public water and sewer mains.

The development project has been a long time coming: six years, when the south side of Cape Girardeau was declared a food desert by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The majority of necessities -- grocery stores, hospitals -- are north of Highway 74.

Wilferth described the bisecting highway as both a "blessing" and "a great wall" cutting residents of south Cape Girardeau off from things they need.

It all involves the "social determinants of health" such as child care, food access, security and education.

"These will all be elements that are available on the south side of Highway 74," Wilferth said.

Around 1 acre of crops will be planted beginning May 1, Wilferth said. The plan is to eventually grow the farm to around half of the total development, utilizing high tunnel greenhouses and aquaculture for fish farming.

The entire project is being rolled out slowly, partially due to cost, but mostly to ensure community feedback is taken at each step of the process, the interim executive director said.

Wilferth said the goal is to make sure the project is rolled out in a sustainable way and it's what people in the area want.

"I'm intently listening to the voices of south Cape," Wilferth said. "Because, I can't answer for someone if I haven't walked in their shoes," he added.

Wilferth said he plans to eventually transition a south Cape Girardeau resident into the role of executive director.

South Side Farms has established a committee that will meet in public quarterly to discuss progress on South Side Farms and hear comments, questions and concerns from the public.

The next listening session will be at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 4, at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.