A source of civic pride

All are issues worthy of attention, although we’d point out that potholes, crime and certainly naysayers are not exclusive to St. Joseph. A community that fails to give itself an honest appraisal is one that neglects the problems that really matter to its citizens.

But a community should be able to recognize and even celebrate what it gets right. This was obvious at this week’s Elite Eight Division II women’s basketball tournament at the Civic Arena.

Two or three years ago, the event would have been held in the tomb-like confines of a facility that opened when Kansas City still had an NBA franchise and the Oak Ridge Boys weren’t playing the casino circuit. This week, eight Division II teams competed in a spruced-up facility with improved lighting, a dynamic scoreboard, modern seating and a new hardwood floor.

In short, it was a facility that provided a good impression of this city. It also validates the decision to invest in upgrades to the 42-year-old building, with about $3.7 million spent on seating, sidewalks, a video scoreboard and other improvements. The bulk of the money came from the parks tax and the American Rescue Plan Act, but funding from the Bode Trust was utilized to upgrade to what was described as a “Cadillac” of scoreboards.

It’s a lot of money, but in hindsight, it was a smart approach compared to spending $50 million or so on a new events center, something that would be harder to justify given all of the other infrastructure needs in the city.

But $4 million or so? That’s money well-spent if it allows St. Joseph to attract more events like the Elite Eight and if it serves as a catalyst for further development Downtown. Those who drove to the Civic Arena would have noticed the condition of the Downtown hotel and the sign indicating that better days are ahead for that site.

There is still much to be done to improve this part of the city.

The key for St. Joseph will be to build on the momentum by bringing in more events to the Civic Arena (even if that requires a third-party promotion or booking entity) and continuing to advocate for further development Downtown, from a new hotel to smaller shops, restaurants and businesses. For those who live or work Downtown, concerns about petty crime and safety are real and cannot be ignored.

But there’s no question from this week’s tournament that the improvements to the Civic Arena are a step in the right direction. Once a depressing relic of the 1980s, the arena now points to better days for Downtown St. Joseph.