EDITORIAL: All Aboard, Part 1
Feb. 20—ALL ABOARD!
It was great to see the recent turnout on behalf of Union Depot.
About 80 area residents showed up to brainstorm a future for the historic downtown building that has stood empty for at least half a century.
The meeting indicates to us two things: A passion to save the depot, and the support it will have once that path forward is found.
The event was organized by the Downtown Joplin Alliance, which brought in students and faculty from universities to help find that future. One group, from Kansas State University, helped compile community comments. Meanwhile, architectural students from South Dakota State University's School of Design will use this information to generate renderings of what the depot could look like if restored. All of this, in turn, will be provided to investors who express an interest in taking on the depot.
Some of the suggestions:
—Some sort of tourism train or passenger train service. Imagine a Chiefs express, or a Royals Express, weekly or regularly taking trainloads of fans from Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas to Kansas City — where they then catch buses to games — and then bringing them home afterward. Or it could take riders to other Kansas City events, with a dining car option, perhaps with an all-inclusive ticket. It's a fun vision, but problematic in that it would require a lot of other pieces to come together.
Lori Haun, director of the Downtown Joplin Alliance, told us: "I don't how feasible that is because there are a lot of components here we're not in control of, but it's worth asking questions. Much like Kansas City's Union Station, it could be a lot of things as well as a train depot."
—Another option we like: Make the depot a hub for 21st century transportation — meaning the network of bike and walking trails being developed in the region.
Picture a place where you could rent bikes and connect safely with the nearby Frisco Greenway, which the Joplin Trail Coalition is working to link up with the Ruby Jack, connecting all the major cities in Jasper County — Joplin, Webb City, Carl Junction and Carthage.
Imagine cyclists riding from Carthage or Carl Junction to Joplin for lunch, then home again. Picture grabbing an ice cream or a dinner or a beer at the depot after a day of riding.
—Others suggested food courts, retail spaces and art studios, and a venue for different types of popular music or local music performances and patio dining with outdoor lawn games. Some even mentioned using it as downtown boutique hotel.
"I think it's really cool how parallel how all the concepts were out of nine different groups," Haun said of the meeting. "It very obviously should be public-facing, it should be multiuse space, it should be something that draws people to it and makes it a destination."
"People are obviously very passionate about it," Haun added. "People are excited, they were happy to be here, and nobody said, 'Tear it down.'"
Indeed, no one wants it torn down.
But don't just take our word for it.
Coming tomorrow: We'll tell you what readers think, based on their social media response to stories.
