A $794 million list of projects has been proposed for Joplin by master developer Wallace Bajjali Development Partners, of Sugar Land, Texas. It will be used to help guide Joplin’s repopulation and take the town to levels of development that go beyond just replacing what was destroyed in the May 22, 2011, tornado.

The plan includes $302 million in proposed home construction and senior living apartments, a new library and movie theater, a minor league baseball field and events venue, mixed-use loft and commercial complexes, a convention center and hotel, a medical building and medical education campus, and also incorporates projects proposed before the tornado, known as the SPARK plan. SPARK (Stimulate Progress through the Arts, Recreation and Knowledge of the past) would clear part of downtown to make room for a performing and visual arts center with an amphitheater and a restored Union Depot attraction.

Master development partners David Wallace and Costa Bajjali met with Globe Publisher Mike Beatty and Editor Carol Stark to answer questions about the plan. Some of the questions posed were presented to the Globe by its readers.



What was your starting point for preparing a proposal for the Joplin City Council?



Wallace said members of his firm were in Joplin nearly a year ago, long before they were selected for the project, asking questions about Joplin’s loss.

“We looked at the public sector. How many parks were destroyed? How many public buildings were gone? Then we looked at private assets such as homes and businesses. Then we set about trying to figure out what it would take just to replace Joplin’s inventory, both public and private,” Wallace said.

Next, the business partners focused on the findings of CART (the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team) that were established to help give Joplin resident a voice in the rebuilding efforts.

“The CART findings went totally beyond just replacing Joplin’s inventory,” Wallace said. “It’s a vision, not just for the next five years, but rather what residents want for the next 100 years.”

Among those findings was the beginning of a bigger plan — one that included neighborhoods with sidewalks, bike trails and safe environments.

When asked if there were two lists — a physical list of needs and a wish list of wants — Bajjali said that was precisely what they started with.



In preparing a proposal for the Joplin City Council, how did you go about projecting what Joplin’s regrowth would be?



Wallace said he worked closely with the Joplin School District to determine loss of households. He said the school estimated a 2 to 3 percent attrition rate.

Wallace Bajjali  considered the number of people who work, shop and eat in Joplin. Wallace said about 60 percent of Joplin’s sales tax revenue is collected from those who live outside the city limits.

“The tornado’s impact on Joplin didn’t take away the need for Joplin to remain as a hub for the area. The daytime population of Joplin is several times over its population. The plan had to consider the region, not just the city limits of Joplin,” Wallace said.



The Joplin City Council has already authorized you to apply for $40 million in grant funds to be used toward a performing arts project and for a work force training program the school district wants to offer at Franklin Technology Center. Does that mean those projects are being considered as priorities?



Wallace described the parts of a proposal as a “three-legged stool,” in which one part was needed for the rest to succeed. He did stress that “putting rooftops over heads” had to be Joplin’s No. 1 priority.

“There are still people who are living in FEMA trailers. They need homes to live in, no doubt about it,” Wallace said.

“But, sometimes, when grant funding is being made available, it makes sense to start a lot of things all at the same time. We have to think about both the necessities and the amenities.”

Wallace said corporations looking to move to Joplin, would be asking questions about parks, recreation, entertainment and living opportunities.

“Companies don’t just move into town anymore. They sometimes bring their work force with them. We saw that firsthand in Sugar Land,” Wallace said.



How about housing? Tell us more about rebuilding homes in the tornado-affected area?



Wallace said part of their proposal was geared toward home ownership and takes a creative financing approach using grants from the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Community Development Block Grants and grant money provided through the Salvation Army. Wallace said the Salvation Army program is one that could become a nationwide model and would be the first of its kind. The plan for Joplin includes about 400 homes.



Is there land available for the ventures you list?



“There are thousands of lots still available in the tornado-affected area,” Wallace said.

The proposal would give the city manager the authority to proceed with an agreement to allow the master developer to work with the Joplin Redevelopment 353 Corp. for land acquisition.



How do you think Joplin will support an independent minor league baseball team when there are three minor league affiliates of real major league teams within 100 miles of Joplin?



Wallace and Bajjali said market studies would have to bear out the sustainability of a minor league baseball field.

“You have to figure out what’s economically sustainable for an area. It may not end up being exactly the size originally imagined, or it



could be something larger,” Wallace said.

Wallace’s final answer to the question was “yes.” He was clear in saying market studies would have to bear out the size of the endeavor.



Walk us through Joplin’s Main Street under your proposal. What would we see?



Starting at the north side of Joplin, Wallace began with the SPARK project, which would incorporate a place for art, theater, concerts and a farmers market.

The plan calls for the library to be relocated, and in its place at Fourth and Main streets would be a medical school that would include housing for students and faculty.

He created a proposal to build a new two-story building at a different location that would house the library on the first floor and a movie theater on the second floor. He said AMC Theaters has indicated an interest in further considering the possibility of operating a 15-screen theater in Joplin. The theater’s rental of the space would create enough revenue to make the payments on the building, meaning that the library could get larger quarters at no cost to the city.

In the area of the Gryphon Building, Wallace outlined an area for a convention center and possibly a hotel. Farther south on Main Street would be a government building where the north and south post offices could be combined, and state agencies could reside there.

From 20th to 26th streets, Wallace described retail centers with lofts.



Comparing Joplin with other areas where you’ve been involved in planning, how long do you think it will take to bring the plan to fruition?



“Joplin is unlike any other community we have worked in,” Wallace said. “In other towns hit by disasters of this proportion, the question was ‘Where’s my FEMA money?’ Joplin’s the antithesis of that kind of thinking.”

“The important thing to remember is that this isn’t our plan, and it’s not City Hall’s. Joplin’s future belongs to the public. That’s why we imagine there will be some 100 public meetings as we continue to reach out in fine-tuning details. This is a project that’s three to five years on the horizon,” Wallace said.