The Formal Federal Building was designed by St. Louis architect Marcel Boucicault, who was noted for his mid-century modern designs. This building had many positives and negatives, which made its redevelopment both essential and challenging. This quality built, classically modernist building that opened their doors in 1968 was a great addition to the thriving downtown landscape.

The Former Federal Building was in use until 2007 when the construction of the Rush Limbaugh Federal Courthouse was completed just a few blocks away. After the move of all the federal offices and court, the building was slated for many different uses; from a homeless shelter to municipal offices. None of these routes were taken and in 2012 the Old Federal Building was sold by the Federal Government to an out of state buyer. The new buyer had no plans for development and the community believed that it would continue to deteriorate and sit vacant.

One of the challenges with the redevelopment of the building was the massive size of the structure. The 46,000 square foot building needed a creative solution that would make it fiscally possible for someone to undertake. Luckily a local developer, the Janus Development Group, had the vision and the resources needed to turn this white elephant property into a fabulous office center in Old Town Cape.

In 2014 the Janus Development Group purchased the building with the intent of putting it back into service. By providing critical upgrades to the building, yet retaining the historic look and feel of the public areas, Janus Development Group and their managing partner Athena Property Group, have indeed given this historic building a new beginning. In the short time they have been open; they have filled 13 leases and in the process brought a number of new businesses to downtown Cape Girardeau.

This project created a buzz in the community. The Former Federal Building houses businesses from lawyers to photographers. Their first lease was signed before they even opened the doors. Codefi is a creative co-working space that focuses on entrepreneurship, business development and helping startup businesses reach their full potential. They have been a great addition to the district by giving people a place to work and network. Codefi has been open for under a year and already has over 100 members.

Although the façade needed minimal work, extensive work was done to the interior structure because of the time it sat vacant. The heating and cooling of the building turned out to be a massive undertaking. During construction, the water lines to the radiator had burst, leading to the complete overhaul of the system.

A really nice addition to the Janus Development Group’s effort is their preservation of the old courtroom. The judge’s bench and witness stand remain, giving it a unique and historic feel, and as event space available for both business and public use, it will be responsible for bringing all sorts of people downtown for all sorts of reasons. Their vision is to rent out the courtroom to community members that need a unique venue for events.

In addition to the courtroom, many other historic features were kept in order to preserve the history of the building. The marble walls and terrazzo floors were preserved in the lobby, and the original doors throughout the building were saved. This shows the commitment to historic preservation and how adaptively reusing buildings can be a strong economic driver.  

Looking forward, the Former Federal Building will be retrofitted with LED lighting in order to comply with LEED standards and technology. The Former Federal building is a great example of a rehabilitation project that is able to adapt and progress while staying true to preservation standards. This once white elephant property has become a model for preservation based practices in Old Town Cape.

This project demonstrates everything that Old Town Cape promotes; economic development, people working together to reenergize and revitalize downtown and setting an example of good preservation practice. For these reasons and many more, the Former Federal Building is well deserving of the Best Adaptive Re-Use Project award. Congratulations!