Sikeston sees an increase in construction

SIKESTON -- The Shops at Lake Crossing shopping center and the new Aldi's combined to make 2005 a year to remember for Sikeston commercial construction.

Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson reported decreases in commercial building permits in 2005 as compared with 2004.

"But ours went up," said Ed Dust, director of the Sikeston Department of Economic Development. "It's a great feeling to know that our community is prospering in today's economy. It shows that Sikeston is doing something right."

From Jan. 1, 2004, through October 2004, the total for new commercial construction in Sikeston was about $3.03 million.

That figure rose to $4.4 million for the same time period in 2005, according to Collin Cecil of the city's code enforcement division.

The boom commercial construction year got its start in April with the construction of Walgreens, a $1.5 million project at the old Missouri Department of Transportation lot at Main and Malone, followed by the new $1 million Aldi's on South Main in May. In August, the strip mall behind Walgreens added $1.2 million to Sikeston's new commercial construction total.

Other new commercial construction was storage buildings for the most part but the figure does not include renovations or additions, according to Trey Hardy, community redevelopment coordinator. For example, Americare's $250,000 addition was not included in the new construction figure.

In the first nine months of 2004, Cape Girardeau issued 45 new commercial building permits with a total value of $31.47 million. During the same time period in 2005, only 21 new commercial building permits went out with a value total of $14.92 million. Remodeling and addition permits were up for Cape, however, from 66 in 2004 to 95 this year.

In Jackson, new commercial building permits for Jan. 1 through Oct. 18 fell from 18 valued at $5.71 million in 2004 to 10 with a total value of $3.68 million this year.

"It's exciting when we see new commercial properties coming into town," said Faye Walborg, broker-owner for Century 21.

New commercial construction means more job opportunities, Walborg said, "and gives us more people that can afford to buy houses."

Walborg said new commercial construction is not the only category Sikeston is seeing growth while other places are seeing figures drop.

"In comparing our residential sales to Cape, they're down a little bit and we're not," she said.

Some information for this article was supplied by the Southeast Missouri News Service.