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Joplin must maintain access to the mezzanine and grand staircase of its historic City Hall.

A plan presented to the City Council on Monday would block public access to the entry area of City Hall. The plan would convert the space to two offices: An office on the northwest corner of the main floor would be remodeled for the city’s neighborhood division dealing with neighborhood improvements; the second would be a locked office for use by the police department’s community engagement team. The move would put antique stained glass original to the building behind locked doors and would make the grand staircase that is a key feature of the historic building off-limits to the public. The stained-glass window installed in the Newman Building when it was built in 1910 was reinstalled over the grand staircase of the City Hall in 2017. The window had been moved when the Newman store relocated in 1972.

The mezzanine also currently houses the Thomas Hart Benton study and documents related to his “Joplin at the Turn of the Century” mural. The mural was a key project in observance of the city’s centennial celebration in 1973. The plan calls for a study to determine another location for the mural.

In 2003, the city bought and renovated the historic Newman Building at 602 S. Main St. to use for City Hall. The city implemented a plan for Main Street in 2005 with incentives and grants. The city converted the building as a way to reuse an important Joplin landmark, create a showplace for the city’s key building and spark developers to join in the restoration of historic structures in our downtown. It worked.

Making these changes now would be a move in the opposite direction and undercut a fundamental reason for locating City Hall in the building. Further, it would deprive Joplin residents and visitors of access to an important part of architectural and artistic history of our city.

City Manager Nick Edwards said the city will not be able to hire more staff without making the changes. We disagree. Change may be required, but not this change. It isn’t as if the city doesn’t have other potential locations nearby, maybe even upper floors within the same building. The city has other space downtown, including the building that houses the Joplin Health Department. Perhaps the former library would suit.

The whole thing is simply a bad idea, and city officials need to find another location for these offices.

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