Since 2020, Cape Girardeau City Hall, Common Pleas Courthouse, and the grounds surrounding it have seen some historical changes, which added to its storied past.
On Monday, January 31st, after years of awaiting updates and much-needed improvements, The City of Cape Girardeau hosted a dedication ceremony, celebrating City Hall's return to Common Pleas.
The City occupied the building from 1854 to 1978, undergoing a series of changes, garnering a significant record of local history.
The original Common Pleas Courthouse was built in 1851. During the Civil War, General Grant used the courthouse building as his headquarters. The location was also where the four forts in Cape Girardeau were approved.
In 1902 the building was used for college classes when Southeast Missouri State University experienced a devastating fire.
In 1922 The Carnegie library opened, now an addition to the building’s east wing.
The courthouse was traded to the US government for a future post office in 1941. After local uproar, the project went into litigation for 16 years with the federal government. The building was eventually deeded back to the city in 1978.
Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox explained that the building was an obvious choice after the County had recently left the building.
“We looked at this building that we had to maintain and it was just a no-brainer for the City Council to look at investing in this as our new City Hall,” said Fox. “It made good sense to reuse the Common Pleas and the library, buildings with such history in our town.”
At the dedication, former City Manager Scott Meyer mentioned that moving City Hall was the crowning project on what was a decade-long plan to reconstruct and modernize the City’s facilities.
Meyer said the City’s previous mayors and the design team collaborated on the project plan, contemplating various possibilities for the new location.
“We looked at the old federal courthouse on Fountain and Broadway, --at one point we looked at moving our customer service out as part of City Hall and then building a new city hall, or different placement, we looked at a total tear-down and build new,” said Meyer. “I kind of flipped back and forth along the way. The mayor went over the history of the things that have happened here and it made sense for City Hall to be in this place.”
Meyer mentioned that one of the hardest parts of the project was finding a way to restore two historic buildings while constructing and connecting an additional modernized workspace.
“Our Deputy City Manager Molly Mehner began to re-look at the site and came up with a plan as to how we could save these old historic buildings and have a transitional building and a parking garage that met the entire needs of the City Hall Complex, and it was visionary,” said Meyer. “The day is finally here where they can come to a new modern facility that not only respects the past, but honors the past, that looks back at the past to build on the shoulders of those that have come before us, and looks forward to the innovation of the future.
Meyer dedicated the new facility to the City workers who will now occupy the space.
“You'll see a building here that is innovative, it is beautiful, but without the people that go in it, no work gets done, this is the work of the people that help those who come together and call themselves Cape Girardians to make not only a better place for themselves but a better place for everyone,” said Meyer. “That's what we want to be, a melting pot for everyone, where everyone will come and want to build, to be an entrepreneur, to raise their families, to be a part of this new exciting future that is ahead of us in Cape Girardeau.”
Redesigning the new building began two years ago, with the COVID-19 pandemic requiring the team to make adjustments to their planning just two months into the design process.
“Then we were no longer allowed to meet in person, but that didn't stop us. We had virtual meetings with all the stakeholders and everyone that needed to give approvals and sign offs, and that really went off without a hitch,” said Joy Coleman, of the architectural design team.”
Despite the interference, the project was approved and its construction faced little disruption.
“We realized our design, which doesn't happen every time. I don't think anybody realizes it, that the things that you envision from the beginning, --sometimes the budget gets in the way or product availability or whatever it is-- and this one really hit it if you look at our initial sketches from that January meeting and then compare it to real life, it is exactly the same and we had a great team to make that happen,” said Coleman.
Mayor Fox said he is most excited to share the structure with the city, and add it to the growing list of preserved local historic buildings.
“I’m looking forward to just being able to maintain the history of our local community, and hearing from people as they drive by in the evening and see how it's lit up, how it stands out in the downtown area, it means a lot.,” said Fox.