Ewert Park’s future is on the top of the agenda for tonight’s work session for the Joplin City Council. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

When Joplin’s Ewert Park opened in 1925, it was designated as the city’s Municipal Park for Joplin’s Colored citizens. Ewert Park is an important landmark and piece of Joplin’s history. Also, Ewert’s aquatic center is more centrally located to Joplin neighborhoods, compared to the city’s two other swimming facilities, Shifferdecker and Cunningham. Tonight, city officials will present a plan to update Ewert. Improvements include an ice rink, a splash park, a covered basketball court, an amphitheater, mural, and historical signage. The upgrades are estimated to cost about $6 million dollars and would be funded by an extension of park and storm-water sales tax. The meeting inside the city council chambers at Joplin city hall will begin tonight at 5:45.