After just over a year of construction, the new Merriam Plaza Library (6120 Slater St., Merriam) is nearing completion. The Antioch Library (8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Merriam) will permanently close after January 28, 2024, in order to transfer materials and staff to the new branch ahead of Merriam Plaza’s spring 2024 opening.

The Antioch Library has been a fixture in the Merriam community for over 60 years. It was the first official Johnson County Library branch, opening as leased space in 1956. Voters approved a bond issue in 1961 that allowed the purchase of the building and property, in addition to the purchase of land for the Corinth Library in Prairie Village. The branch has remained a popular and heavily used location over the decades, but Antioch also served as library headquarters until 1995, when Central Resource Library opened in Overland Park.

Though beloved, the aging facility has limited parking and would require costly repairs to remain usable. The Library’s Board of Directors identified the need for a new library in Merriam as part of the 2015 Comprehensive Library Master Plan. In late 2017, the City of Merriam approached the library to consider relocating Antioch Library to the Merriam Community Center campus, part of the Merriam Municipal Plaza. After a feasibility study determined it was more desirable to build a new library than renovate the old one, the Library Board approved this path. In late 2022, the property was transferred from the city to the library to begin construction.

The closing of Antioch Library is bittersweet for many in the community. Patron Abby noted, “I’m 27, and I’ve been coming here since I was very small – I will cherish the memories of me learning to fall in love with reading here!” Others shared that while they’ve enjoyed the “wonderful environment” of Antioch, they’re excited about the new building’s green roof, drive-thru and proximity to the new Merriam Community Center. As with the Library’s Lenexa City Center location, joining a community campus is a welcome opportunity for the library, bringing enhanced convenience and an opportunity to share spaces and programming.

The 15,000-square-foot Merriam Plaza branch will pay homage to some of Antioch’s most beloved features, such as the reading nooks in the kids’ section. Community input sessions held by the library and architects led to features such as a convenient drive-thru, a large meeting room with updated technology to host storytime and other events, plus two well-equipped study rooms and a variety of seating options across the branch.

The architects honored the community’s request to keep green space in the area with an attractive green roof featuring more than 7,000 plantings, which preserves the roof’s lifespan while providing a place for pollinators and native vegetation. Spacious windows will allow in natural light, and a covered front porch provides a welcoming outdoor gathering spot.

As with many Johnson County building projects, 1% of the overall project budget was allocated for public art. The library’s exterior will feature metal sculptures of wildflowers designed by multi-disciplinary artist Sage Vaughn, and local artist and designer Emily Alvarez will paint a four-wall mural in the building’s meeting room. The mural will pay homage to the Webb Family, long-time Merriam residents for whom the meeting room is also named. Alfonso and Mary Webb’s 1949 lawsuit to desegregate Merriam schools laid the foundation for the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case five years later.

The anticipated total project cost is $13.68 million, funded through the Comprehensive Library Master Plan and the library’s mill levy. Merriam residents will not see a city tax increase to pay for this project. The Library Board of Directors intends to sell the Antioch land and building after the new library is officially open; proceeds from the sale will fund future Library capital projects.

Visit the Library’s YouTube channel to get a behind-the-scenes look at the entire building project. Monthly time-lapse videos show the library’s progress since January 2023, and “How to Build a Library” episodes highlight project milestones through interviews with community members and project partners.

An exact date for Merriam Plaza Library’s ribbon cutting will be announced in early spring.