New library opens in Olathe, and here’s what is coming to Prairie Village

Olathe will begin construction this month on a new four-story library building — with an exterior of stone, masonry, glass and custom brick — that’s viewed as a catalyst for the revitalization of the city’s downtown. The new library also will complement the Indian Creek Library that opened only two years ago on the east side of town.

“We are excited and anxious to see the downtown library come to fruition,” Mayor John Bacon said in a news release. “This project encompasses so many of the objectives we have set forth in our growth strategy. Much time and energy has been put in thus far, and the result is a genuine and meaningful piece of Olathe that will stand the test of time; an Olathe icon in the making.”

The new library, expected to be completed early in 2023, will be north of Santa Fe Street behind Civic Center Park at Santa Fe and Chestnut streets. Groundbreaking for the $25 million project is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 18.

The library will occupy 41,800 of the 46,600 square feet in the new building, which will include a first-floor coffee shop, community meeting spaces and headquarters for the Olathe Chamber of Commerce.

Perhaps the most striking design element is the Creative Tower, a glass structure rising through the middle of the building. The tower will house a creative lab with accessible technology, reading and study spaces and a spot that looks at the past, present and future of the city. It will offer a view of downtown Olathe, and the inside will be visible from the street level.

On the east side of the building is the Flexbox, a glass-paneled meeting space. The Flexbox will be lower than the main floor, allowing for stadium-style seating and a walk-out to outdoor amenities. It will be able to accommodate speakers, performances and private events like weddings and business meetings.

“The library is no longer the grocery store – shelves stocked with ‘ingredients’ that people take elsewhere to use. It is becoming the kitchen – a place where people stay to make things,” said former Olathe library consultant Joan Frye Williams, whose ideas helped shape the library. Recording studios, workshop areas and conversation-friendly seating are part of today’s modern libraries, she said.

Companies involved in the project include LANE4 Property Group, which is managing the project for the city, and the design firms DLR Group and GouldEvans.

The downtown library currently operates from a temporary location at 1078A W. Santa Fe St. in the West Santa Fe Plaza shopping center. Apartments are replacing the former downtown library at Park and Chestnut streets.

New skate park for Prairie Village

Prairie Village has opened its new skate park, several days before the Sept. 15 ribbon cutting, when skateboard enthusiasts are invited to Harmon Park for a skate demonstration beginning at 4:30 p.m. Refreshments will be available at 4.

The skate park replaces an earlier version that fell victim to concrete deterioration.

According to the city, the original skate park was a dream of Prairie Village eighth-graders Jake Shepard and Andy Peterson who, in December 2001, began collecting money for the project in a plastic box. By the following summer, the mayor had appointed them to a city committee.

Jake was fighting cancer, and his journey inspired Andy and others to raise funds for the project.

Over 3 1/2 years, they secured donations from Prairie Village, Mission Hills, the Helen Boylan Foundation, the Prairie Village Arts Council for a Rhett Johnson sculpture, the Prairie Village Municipal Foundation and the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, plus individuals.

Jake died in March 2003. On his 17th birthday, June 7, 2005, the original park was dedicated as the Harmon Park Skate Park. Unofficially, it was known as Jake’s Park.

When the need for replacement came clear, young people got involved once again, providing their ideas in a series of community meetings. The old skate park was removed this summer and a redesigned park, budgeted at $700,000, took its place.

What next for OP Farmers’ Market?

Overland Park wants to improve its downtown Farmers’ Market, and is seeking ideas from residents, market vendors and shoppers and others.

Meanwhile, it has asked developers to come forward with proposals to rebuild the market as part of a mixed-use development on the 2-acre city-owned property at 7950 Marty St.

“The desire is to enhance the 18-hour appeal of downtown Overland Park generally, and to use the Farmers’ Market as a catalyst for a diverse mixture of activities,” the city said in a Request for Proposals issued Sept. 3. “If additional properties can be included in a larger project, proposers are encouraged to show how this specific site can grow.”

To solicit public feedback, the city has scheduled a town hall meeting for 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., where the market has operated during the coronavirus pandemic. Those attending are asked to register through a link provided in the news item posted at opkansas.org.

“We know many people in this community care deeply about downtown Overland Park and the Farmers’ Market,” Jack Messer, director of the city’s Planning and Development Services Department, said in a news release. “This is an excellent opportunity to get involved with a project that builds off work we’ve already done to improve the space where the market is, and where it will remain.”

After the meeting, the city will post an online comment form so others can weigh in through Oct. 14. The public’s feedback will be added to the Request for Proposals and those ideas are expected to be incorporated into the development plans, the city said.

Health clinic opens at SM West

A school-based health clinic — which can be used by all Shawnee Mission School District students and their siblings ages 3 to 20 — has opened at Shawnee MIssion West High School, near 85th Street and Antioch Road in Overland Park.

The new clinic is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, except when school is not in session. Services will include sick visits, physical exams and sports physicals, dental and mental health care, COVID-19 testing, COVID and other immunizations, age-appropriate health screenings, preventive education and referrals to specialists.

“The idea is to break down barriers to health care,” Shelby Rebeck, the district’s health services director, said in a news release. “Barriers for many of our students include low income, lack of knowledge, lack of transportation and parents’/guardians’ inability to take time away from hourly jobs.”

Health Partnership Clinic is collaborating with the school district to offer the service. A similar clinic at Merriam Park Elementary School closed temporarily because of the pandemic, district spokesman David Smith said, but HPC is evaluating potential operations at Merriam Park.

Parents should call 913-648-2266 to schedule medical appointments at Shawnee Mission West. Walk-ins will be accommodated as time allows.

Fall parade of homes

A total of 230 new homes, including 130 in Johnson County, will be open to the public during the Fall Parade of Homes organized by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City.

The residences — including town homes, duplexes, villas and single-family homes — will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Sept. 18 through Oct. 3. Admission is free.

Kansas City’s twice-yearly homes parade is the second largest in the country. For more information, visit www.KCParadeofHomes.com.

Free stuff on Leawood curbs

If you cruise around Leawood on Sept. 18, you may be able to pick up some useful stuff for free.

The occasion is Recirculation Saturday, when Leawood residents are encouraged to place unwanted items at the curb for others to retrieve. Items can be set out as early as 7 a.m. that day, and homeowners must remove anything that’s not picked up by Monday morning.

Hangar named for pilot killed in Afghanistan

The Olathe Naval Air Station hangar has been renamed in memory of Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Nichols, who died in August 2011 in the deadliest incident for American troops during the war in Afghanistan.

Nichols was killed as he piloted a Chinook helicopter carrying a SEAL Team Quick Reaction Force charged with identifying and taking out a Taliban leader. The helicopter was shot down as it approached the landing zone, exploded on impact and killed all 38 people aboard. The dead included 30 members of the U.S. military.

The hangar, which dates to World War II, houses a squad of Chinooks piloted and maintained by Army reservists.

School candidate forums

Johnson County residents will choose school board members when they vote in November, and three candidate forums can help them prepare.

Hosted by the Mainstream Coalition, the League of Women Voters of Johnson County and other local groups, the virtual forums are scheduled for these districts:

▪ Shawnee Mission, 6 p.m. Sept. 21.

▪ Blue Valley, 6 p.m. Sept. 28.

▪ Olathe, 6 p.m. Oct. 19.

Register through the event calendars at lwvjoco.org or mainstreamcoalition.org.

Fund-raiser for CASA

A casual gathering in Leawood will raise money for CASA of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties, an organization of volunteers who advocate for children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

The Hops & Barley benefit will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Lodge at Ironwoods, 14701 Mission Road. Proceeds will be used to recruit, train and support CASA volunteers.

The evening will include beer and wine tasting, heavy appetizers, music by the acoustic duo Nick & Anna, a wine pull, yard games and a silent auction. Tickets cost $75.

For information on the event or to inquire about becoming a CASA volunteer, visit casajwc.org or call 913-715-4035. The organization is seeking more volunteers because it now can serve only a third of the children under court protection in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

Olathe East drama students excel

Several Olathe East High School students were honored at the Thespys, a national competition featuring qualifiers from all 50 states.

Layla Abu Saada was one of only eight participants selected to perform in the Thespy Showcase and won a Thespy for solo musical theatre. Madeline King also won a Thespy in the same category.

The school earned more superior awards than any other at the competition: Saada, King, Willa Walberg, Ellie Eisele, Phoebe Mock and Addison Landes in solo musical theatre, along with Bre Kristian and Liv Hollan in duet musical theatre.

This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New library opens in Olathe, and here’s what is coming to Prairie Village."