The $13.68 million project to build a new library branch in Merriam — a replacement for the historic founding branch of Johnson County Library — is well underway.
Dubbed Merriam Plaza Library, which will replace the Antioch branch nearby on Shawnee Mission Parkway, is currently under construction at 6040 Slater St. — adjacent to the Merriam Community Center that opened in 2020.
Construction is on track and on budget, library officials say
- Elissa Andre, external communication manager for Johnson County Library, told the Post that construction officially kicked off in December.
- To date, there has only been three days where there was a weather delay on the project, she said.
- Crews are currently working to finish the exterior of the building and will ensure it is watertight before moving onto the interior, she said.
- The Merriam Plaza Library is anticipated to open in 2024, though there are no specific details at this time, Andre said.
Merriam Plaza Library will replace 1956 Antioch Library
- Andre said the Antioch Library, 8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., underwent several renovations over the last 60 years.
- As a result, Andre said, there is a lot of extra, aging space at Antioch “that isn’t really practical for a modern library.”
- That’s why Johnson County Library partnered with the city of Merriam to develop a replacement branch.
- Antioch Library will close in 2024 right before Merriam Plaza opens, and the property on Shawnee Mission Parkway will be put up for sale, Andre said.
The Library plans to commemorate the Antioch branch
- Andre said patrons adore the reading nooks in the kid’s area at Antioch, and that aspect will be recreated in the new Merriam Plaza Library.
- There is also an ongoing opportunity for patrons to sign the drywall that is going into the Merriam Plaza branch.
- Johnson County Library has also been collecting memories from the Antioch branch, which will be shared in some fashion closer to the transition between branches, Andre said.
- “Obviously it is a very beloved branch,” Andre said. “There are aspects of it that people really love.”
Want more? Visit Johnson County Library’s YouTube channel for monthly updates on construction, and watch a video about the new Merriam Plaza Library embedded below.
