Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission releases Endangered Buildings, Watch lists

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission has released its Endangered Buildings and Watch Lists, which designate buildings in danger of being lost.

City Planner Ryan Shrimplin said the buildings on the Endangered Buildings List, like the old F.W. Woolworth Co. building on Main Street, are an integral part of the fabric of the city. 

“The buildings are tangible reminders, our connection to the past, and if we let those buildings go, then we have lost that connection,” he said. “It’s a testament to the original downtown, Main Street shopping districts that were prevalent throughout the country for many years.” 

Lance Green is moving his business, Green’s Garden, to the building directly across the street from the old Woolworth building. 

He said downtown is a great place for entrepreneurs like himself. 

“It gives us a chance to express our uniqueness and our individuality, and I think downtown is really good for that,” he said.

Also included on the list is the 600 block of Good Hope Street, once a thriving part of the city.

Shrimplin explained the reasoning for the whole block’s inclusion on the Endangered Buildings List. 

“It has lost so much already, and if action isn’t taken soon, the rest of the buildings could be lost as well, and then the entire physical, tangible reminder of the historical context of that neighborhood will be gone,” he said.

Noticeably absent from the Endangered Buildings List is the Broadway Theatre, which is being revitalized after being on the list for several years.