Next week, the Joplin City Council will hold a special meeting and continue discussions about the viability and future of Memorial Hall. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Construction on the hall started in 1924; it was completed the following year for about $250,000 to honor the men and women of the nation’s war. With the building of Connect 2 Culture’s Cornell Complex literally feet away from Memorial Hall, the city council commissioned a panel to study what should be done with it. The board includes individuals representing the cities Parks, Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Finance, a private consulting company, and an architectural firm.

The panel completed two plans for the hall for residents and city council members to consider. The first, to only renovate it. The second plan would pay for a renovation and add an annex. The cost difference between the two is nearly $230,000. The panel also concluded that there were numerous questions to be answered considering the economic prospects for Memorial Hall. The work session to discuss the hall’s future will take place at Joplin City Hall Chamber this upcoming Monday at 5:45 pm.