Joplin’s “Dover Outdoor Recreational Area” gets approval

JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin City Council approves the construction of a new bike park, despite being nearly double over the original budget estimate.

The council voted 8-to-1 in favor of constructing the "Dover Outdoor Recreational Area,” also known as "DORA."

During a presentation at Monday night's meeting (12/16), council learned the project is now more than $3 million dollars over budget.

The original plans were drafted in 2020. The new projected budget is due to an increase in construction costs.

The area involved is located near Dover Hill Elementary. It consists of 95 acres that once housed soccer fields, with plans to become 10 miles of mountain bike trails.

| Joplin’s “Dover Outdoor Recreational Area” Project Over Budget >

Monday night, council approved the contract with Crossland Construction to move forward with the $6.7 million dollar park.

"Construction costs have gone up, personnel costs have gone up, and we're just experiencing that. A project that could have been three million dollars five years ago, is now six million dollars and there's not an American on this planet who hasn't faced that personally, individually, and we are facing that as well,” said Joplin Mayor, Keenan Cortez.

The single "no" vote on the DORA project was Councilmember, Ryan Jackson. He tells us, while he supports the outdoor recreation area project, he does not believe funding should be taken from other city departments to make up for the project's budget shortfall.

To help fully fund DORA, the city will use $1 million from the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau reserves. Shifting ARPA dollars from other projects will cover a majority of the funds needed.