By Wendy Brunner
The City of Joplin turns 152 years old March 23, and in those many years, Joplin has reached numerous milestones as it has grown and matured.
From the mining that put Joplin, Missouri, on the map, to the scandalous days of its infancy with saloons and houses of ill repute, Joplin grew into a respectable town that just over 53,000 people call home today.
As with any of us as we age, Joplin has scars and wrinkles. The tragedy of the historic Connor Hotel—the loss of life as it was being demolished plus the loss of the building to the historic preservation community—is still felt and discussed today. The May 22, 2011, tornado drastically changed Joplin’s landscape, and the town is still rebuilding from that disaster.
The Joplin of today has learned from past historic preservation and economic mistakes.When city leaders bought the former Newman Department Store building at 602 S. Main St., in 2003 from the now-closed Hook Up Trucking Company, it increased awareness of what historic preservation can do for a community.
In the late 1990s, Hook Up renovated the building, which was built between 1907 and 1910, into office space. The Newman Department Store operated from 1910 to 1972 in what was the first building in Joplin to have elevators and electricity. Once Newman’s moved to the newly built Northpark Mall in 1972, the Newman Building had several owners until the early 2000s.
“We didn’t want to see the building fall into disrepair,” says Director of Planning, Development & Neighborhood Services Troy Bolander.
“Downtown was in terrible shape at the time.” Allowing the Newman Building to sit empty and decay would have added to the blight Joplin’s downtown was experiencing. And city officials knew they couldn’t ask private investors to put up their own money toward the downtown area without investing in it themselves.
The city consolidated its many departments from multiple buildings scattered throughout Joplin when it moved into the Newman Building in 2005. That move 20 years ago sparked a downtown revitalizationmovement that saw new lofts being built and new storefronts occupiedfor the first time in years.
“Late City Planner Dick Largent and the late Senator Ron Richardwere instrumental in kicking off downtown’s revitalization in2002,” Troy continues. “Before that, I remember when we’d have an economic development prospect come to town, we’d avoid taking them downtown so they wouldn’t see the vacant and rundown buildings, the nonexistent streetscaping and the infrastructure that was in disrepair.”
”Despite the poor conditions downtown, there were longtime businesses on Main Street that did thrive, such as Newton’s Jewelers, Club 609,Pearl Bros. Hardware and Central Christian Center. It stood to reason even more businesses could be successful with a revitalized downtown.
Once the Newman Building was again occupied, the synergy began to change. Investors renovated the Frisco Building and the Ridgway and Zahn apartments, and those were run by Economic Security Corp. The Columbia Traders Building was renovated with lofts in the upper stories and retail space on the street level.
The city kept the momentum going by creating the Joplin RedevelopmentCorporation that issued tax abatements to investors to improve blighted areas, and the city created the Downtown Façade Program to help private investors restore their historic buildings to historic standards. Eventually, the city received grants for streetscaping,planters, lighting, sidewalks, banners on light poles and otherbeautification projects.
“One of the recommendations of the 2002 Downtown Joplin Revitalization Plan was a performing arts center to bring people downtown,” Troy says. “We have that now with the Cornell Complex, although that was done through private investors and not the city. That project helped beautify the area and is bringing people downtown.”
Joplin has had some form of a Main Street Program since 1989, which promotes the redevelopment of American downtowns. Its current and strongest iteration in Joplin is Downtown Joplin Alliance. Lori Haun, the executive director of DJA, says the acceptance of historic preservation continues to grow in the area.
“There are many historic preservation incentives for investors to look at downtown Joplin,” she says. “DJA is working with the city to develop a new downtown master plan to continue the traction we’ve gained. For example, the old Pennsylvania Avenue bridge is coming down this year, and that’s an amazing opportunity for us and the city to be intentional with that space. What can we put there that will continue to build interest in our downtown? What’s the best use of that space?
“DJA has had many requests for condos and townhouses downtown. People want to move from the homes they’ve owned for years to something downtown that doesn’t require the maintenance their homes had. But they want to own their living spaces, not rent them. It’s exciting to think of ways to make this a reality.
”Lori says getting the business mix correct downtown is key.
“Third Thursday, our outdoor Main Street festival, started 18 years ago. Back then, 75% of downtown storefronts were vacant. Today, only 10-12% of storefronts are vacant. People believe in downtown. And we want to make sure Joplin’s downtown remains viable and is a sought-after destination.
”As with most things, interest in revitalizing downtowns ebbsand flows. The past few years were hard on small businesses, especially in the downtown area.
“Investors and entrepreneurs need to have confidence in the economy in order for them to feel comfortable taking a risk, ”Troy says.
“In order to keep our downtown from becoming blighted again, even in hard economic times, we continue to work with DJA to ensure we have the right tools in place, and the proper marketing and incentive programs to keep investors’ interest in downtown Joplin.”
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