Ewert Park to Reopen With $10 Million Renovation
Joplin schedules a December 17 reopening celebration for the park following its nearly $10 million makeover.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Civic
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The city of Joplin has scheduled a reopening celebration for Ewert Park on Thursday, December 17, at 2 p.m., following a renovation totaling nearly $10 million. The project adds a splash park, an ADA-accessible playground, covered basketball and pickleball courts, and an amphitheater with historical displays.
Why it matters
The renovation is the largest project in Phase III of Joplin's Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax program, which voters approved in 2021. It shows how the funding is being used to upgrade the city's public recreation spaces.
The renovation totals nearly $10 million, drawn from the city's Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax program and use tax revenue designated for beautification. The source does not break down how that cost is distributed across the splash park, playground, courts, and amphitheater.
The players
City of Joplin
The municipal government of Joplin, Missouri, which funded and managed the Ewert Park renovation through its Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax program.
The details
The renovation adds a splash park with an ice-skating ribbon, an ADA-accessible playground, covered basketball and pickleball courts, and an amphitheater with historical displays. Additional funding came from use tax revenue designated for beautification efforts.
Timeline
Voters approved the Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax program in 2021.
The Ewert Park reopening celebration is scheduled for Thursday, December 17, at 2 p.m.
Big Picture
The Ewert Park renovation is the largest project in Phase III of Joplin's Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax program, which voters approved in 2021. It marks one of the most significant uses of that voter-approved funding to date.
Residents can visit the reopened park for its new splash park, ADA-accessible playground, covered courts, and amphitheater starting with the December 17 celebration. The celebration is scheduled for 2 p.m. that day.
The takeaway
The Ewert Park renovation shows how voter-approved sales tax funds can be directed toward multi-use recreation facilities for residents of all ages. Residents planning to attend the reopening can mark December 17 at 2 p.m. on their calendars.
What happens next
The Ewert Park reopening celebration takes place Thursday, December 17, at 2 p.m.
Further reading
Explore more local government and community updates in the Civic section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newstalk KZRG.
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Do you support the city spending about $10 million on local park improvements?
