Southwest Missouri city selected for DREAM Initiative

Blunt announced the cities selected for the first Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance for Missouri, or DREAM, Initiative during an awards luncheon today at the Governor’s Conference on Economic Development in St. Louis.

Neosho was among 98 cities — most of them small to medium in size — that submitted applications. Joplin, Carl Junction, Webb City, Carthage and Stella were among the other cities in the tri-state area that sought DREAM status. Springfield, Branson, Ozark, Aurora and Ash Grove also applied.

Other selected communities were Cape Girardeau, Excelsior Springs, Hannibal, Hermann, Kennett, Sedalia, St. Joseph, Washington and West Plains.

“I think it’s a great honor for the people of Neosho,” said Neosho City Manager Jan Blase. “It’s good to know the state is looking at Neosho.”

The DREAM Initiative will provide Neosho assistance from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Housing Development Commission and the Missouri Development Finance Board.

“We had high hopes because we have a nice downtown and a nice community. It’s nice to know the state thinks so also. We have high hopes for Neosho,” Blase said.

Rob O’Brian, president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, said he was not surprised that Joplin was not selected. A focus group including chamber members assisted the city in developing Joplin’s application.

“It would be nice to be a DREAM community but (it’s) not surprising that Joplin was not named,” O’Brian said. “I believe the state wanted to focus on smaller communities, and certainly Joplin is well under way on its downtown revitalization. Joplin, by the nature of its size, has more resources available than smaller communities.”

O’Brian added, “It is good news for the Joplin metro area that Neosho is a DREAM community. Neosho as well as Joplin has been working hard on downtown redevelopment.”

Jeff Wells is the editor Joplin Tri-State Business, the sister publication of Springfield Business Journal, and David Haut is a JTB reporter. Contact them at joplinnews@joplintsb.com. See JTB’s Oct. 9 issue for additional coverage of Neosho’s selection as a DREAM city.