Joplin Memorial Hall renovations on April 5 ballot
The future of Joplin’s Memorial Hall is on the April 5 ballot. The 97-year-old war memorial is in dire need of renovation.
In June 2020, a partial roof collapse closed the building to the public. The City Council then authorized SFS Architecture to conduct a study to make a recommendation on the future use of Memorial Hall.
Question 1 on the ballot asks Joplin voters:
“Shall the City Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the amount not to exceed $30,000,000 to reconstruct, renovate, expand, and improve Memorial Hall, and to improve related parking?”
The city says to pay for the issue, the bond debt will be paid through the assessment of real property and personal property taxes. City Manager Nick Edwards says that means for an average $100,000 home in Joplin and a $20,000 vehicle, the estimated monthly cost is $6.20.
The four pillars in the front of Memorial Hall represent areas that this facility has served during the past 100 years. These are still important areas today and were significant in planning the proposed development of Memorial Hall for the future.
In 2022, Connect 2 Culture will open the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex just north of Memorial Hall. The Cornell Complex will offer a 450-seat performance hall and other amenities. With these additions in our community, the City is taking a fresh look at the future of Memorial Hall to better serve the community.
Last year, Memorial Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which makes preserving the building easier in the future.
Click here to see more about the initiative
or
Visit www.joplinmo.org/MemorialHall to get all the details about the issue.
