The future of Joplin’s Memorial Hall is on the ballot Tuesday, April 5, as voters will decide the fate of a 30-million-dollar bond. The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce has come out in favor of rehabilitating the nearly 100-year-old building. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

A postcard that the Joplin Area Chamber is sending to residents regarding the Memorial Hall bond states that rehabbing the building will cost residents $6.20 per month. The example provided is if a resident owns a house worth $100,000 and a $20,000 car. Although the average price of a home in Joplin as of Thursday according to Realtor.com was nearly $156,000, so it’s likely that the average Joplin household would pay more than $6.20 to support the reconstruction if the measure passes.

Tony Robyn, Interim Co-President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, says the hall is vital to downtown Joplin. “The building is co-joined with a memorial, so it’s beyond just a memorial or an auditorium, it’s a community center and an event space, and it’s a historic building, an icon of the downtown area.”

Robyn goes on to say that he sees a future where the Cornell Complex and a rebuilt Memorial Hall make Joplin an attractive place for conventions and other events the city hasn’t hosted in decades. Absentee voting for city and municipal elections is already underway. In-person voting takes place Tuesday, April 5. For 89 9 KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City