After sitting vacant for nearly a year, the former Cape Girardeau police headquarters will soon be occupied by its new owner, the Community Caring Council.
The council’s executive director, Melissa Stickel, says they’ve been looking at a potential relocation for several months as part of a strategic plan. One reason, Stickel says, is that they are ‘out of room’ in their current building; their operations at the 937 Broadway location are split between three different floors.
“Being on multiple floors just is not conducive for lots of things: staff, communication, client access,” says Stickel. “And we knew we needed something different.”
With the old police station up for bids last month, Stickel says it was the perfect opportunity for the council, and in good timing with their strategic plan.
According to a press release, the city of Cape Girardeau issued a request for proposals in March from anyone interested in buying the property. The city looked specifically at the purchase offer, proposed use of the building, and the potential impact it would have on the community.
Three bids were received from Robert Janota and Humble Path, NP, the Community Caring Council, and the PORCH Initiative.
According to Stickel, the council did not offer the highest bid, but the city selected them as their recipient out of the three.
“They clearly saw that investment was a significant one,” says Stickel.
She says the building needs a lot of work, and that they will likely gut most of the rooms before starting over.
“The way the offices are laid out now - it’s not going to fit into what we need,” says Stickel.
Of course, with the jail still in place, Stickel says that will likely be ‘an interesting challenge.’
With their current office in close proximity to their new headquarters at 40 S. Sprigg Street - just around the corner - Stickel says it's the perfect location for their office.
“It’s in the heart of the neighborhood that we serve,” says Stickel.