City of Joplin
Joplin Mercy Park
Joplin, MIssouri
17 acres
"“Mercy Park is the final piece of a plan following the 2011 tornado to provide a beautiful location to reflect and remember the lives of those lost, while also providing a place to enjoy the outdoors for generations to come.”"
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In May 2011, the City of Joplin was forever changed by an EF-5 tornado. The Mercy St. John’s hospital was at the epicenter of this disaster. With recovery efforts underway, an opportunity arose to develop a portion of the original St. John’s Mercy Hospital site with the vision to heal the city. The establishment of a passive public park expands the green space currently being offered by the adjacent Cunningham Park, and provides a community gateway space with connectors to existing facilities, businesses, and nearby amenities.
SWT Design led the City of Joplin through an extensive CIP planning process, identifying and prioritizing nearly 40 projects worth more than $350 million in CDBG-DR funds. Mercy Park was the first of these identified projects to be further developed and constructed. SWT led the design and construction administration of the park, working with the city and contractors to meet a narrow 10-month construction schedule.