JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 29, 2024 – Missouri Department of Natural Resources, along with Downtown Joplin Alliance through their Endangered Properties Program, is seeking Solicitations of Interest for the redevelopment of the Joplin Union Depot.
Submissions opened March 18 and must be received by May 31, 2024. To view the SOI packet, or for more information on the Union Depot, please visit downtownjoplin.com/endangered-properties-program/union-depot.
For questions on the submittal process, or to submit a response to the SOI, please contact Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Attn: State Historic Preservation Office, 1659 E. Elm St., Jefferson City, MO 65101. You can also email moshpo@dnr.mo.gov or call 573-751-7858.
The Joplin Union Depot was designed by Kansas City architect Louis Curtiss – who is often referred to as “the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City” – and built by the Manhattan Construction Company of New York. It opened in 1911 and was in service until its closure in 1969.
MoDNR gained ownership of the Depot through the Historic Preservation Revolving Fund in the 1990s after an unsuccessful rehabilitation. While various entities have expressed interest in acquiring the property since then, these inquiries have not generated a financially capable purchaser. The DJA-MoDNR partnership is an opportunity for the depot to benefit from DJA’s expertise and resources to enhance its marketability and make progress toward finding a preservation-minded purchaser.
In 2020, DJA established their Endangered Properties Program, a revolving fund specifically for intervening in historic properties with questionable futures. These funds, while generally not enough to pay for an entire project, allow the Endangered Properties Program Committee to take control of a property through donation or option, then seek developers for the property through marketing, feasibility studies, structural assessments and other needs specific to a particular building.
“The impact the redevelopment of the Union Depot will have on the continued revitalization of downtown Joplin cannot be overstated,” said Lori Haun, Downtown Joplin Alliance executive director. “The building still has great potential and many years left in it.”
For more information on the Joplin Union Depot request for bid, please visit mostateparks.com/shpo/notice-request-bid.
