Cape business owner proposes moving Riverfront Market into downtown core

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — A Cape Girardeau business owner is renewing a proposal he says could strengthen downtown businesses while creating a more connected experience for visitors.

Christopher Snider, a longtime downtown business owner and current organizer of The Collective, believes the Cape Farmers Market should move from its current location near Independence and Spanish streets to the heart of downtown.

Snider said he has been in Cape Girardeau for more than 20 years and has been advocating for the idea for roughly 15 years.

The Cape Farmers Market currently operates in a parking lot near the intersection of Independence and Spanish streets. While Snider said the market has become one of Cape Girardeau’s most successful community events, he believes many visitors leave after shopping without exploring nearby businesses.

“The problem I see with it is we have downtown vendors that own buildings or own businesses or operate businesses that are not having any monetary positive effect from the farmers market,” Snider said.

Snider said he would like to see vendors set up along Main Street and nearby downtown corridors, including Broadway, Water, Themis and Independence streets. He believes placing the market among existing businesses would encourage shoppers to spend more time downtown while supporting local shops, restaurants and other attractions.

His concerns stem from what he sees as the need to protect the momentum downtown Cape Girardeau has built through years of revitalization projects, investment and growth.

“We’ve done some nice improvements in some places, and I feel like everyone thinks there’s momentum,” Snider said. “And I think what everybody misses is downtowns. It doesn’t take much to derail the momentum of a downtown. It can go very, very quickly.”

Snider said moving the market into the downtown core would create a more walkable experience for both residents and visitors.

“We’re creating a reputation that we have a downtown that’s open and vibrant, but we’re also getting city people and out-of-town visitors, locals and visitors to realize that we can be downtown and walk, and we can go a block or two at a time and experience different things,” Snider said.

He said visitors could move between market vendors, boutiques, jewelry stores, restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses without needing to relocate their vehicles.

According to Snider, downtown already has much of the infrastructure needed to support a larger event, including public parking lots on the north and south sides of Main Street, public restrooms and streets that could accommodate vendors.

He also believes a downtown location could improve pedestrian safety by reducing the number of people crossing busy streets between parking areas and the market.

Snider said a move could create opportunities for future growth if the market continues to expand.

“In a perfect world, if we were adding vendors to this event, we could fill up multiple blocks worth of vendors and then pull that down to the river wall when the weather allows it,” Snider said.

While the discussion centers on the farmers market, Snider said his broader goal is encouraging people to spend more time downtown and support local businesses.

“How do we maintain what we have, how do we grow that, and how do we get people to stay downtown, not just come for an event and leave?” Snider said.

Snider emphasized that his proposal is not intended as criticism of Old Town Cape, the organization that operates the farmers market, but rather a conversation about how to further support downtown businesses and encourage visitors to spend more time in the area.

“The emphasis here is not to bash Old Town Cape,” Snider said. “But I also know that we need to do something or we’re going to continue to lose more business down here.”

FOX23 has reached out to Old Town Cape for comment and will update this story when a response is received.