Schools and Libraries
By Kathy Feist
South Kansas City is seeing economic growth even during the pandemic. We continue our series on new development in the area for 2021. (See Apartment Complexes, Industrial Parks and Shopping Strips for previous stories.)
Center School District – Indian Creek Elementary
Indian Creek Elementary School, 9801 Grand Ave, is in the process of being rebuilt. Currently the building is up and interior classrooms are taking shape. The school is part of a $48 million no tax increase bond voters approved on April 2, 2019. The bond has allowed the district to update all buildings.
Montessori School
The plan for a Montessori School at the former stone All Saint’s Episcopal Church at 9201 Wornall has been approved by the City Plan Commission for a Special Use Permit. It will go to the Board of Zoning Adjustment on February 9th.
IDEA Space
The former HyVee building at 122nd and State Line Rd was purchased by Barstow Schools to repurpose as a STEAM workshop and lab, a maker space, black box theater, cafe and collaborative space.The 63,000 square feet space will also include an Early Childhood Center. While the funding phase continues for the $14.5 million project, the site is being utilized by he Kansas National Guard and The Outreach Program to fight hunger during the pandemic by using the building as a meal packaging center and as a space for Covid screening of Barstow students, faculty and staff.
Concorde Career College
Currently based in midtown, Concorn Career College will lease approximately 50,000 square feet of space in the St. Joseph Medical Building, 930 Carondelet Dr., owned by Lillibridge Healthcare Services. Plans are to open in the fall.
Mid-Continent Library Blue Ridge Branch
The Blue Ridge Branch, 9253 Blue Ridge Blvd, will close March 20 for renovations, including new community and meetings rooms, new lighting, paint, carpet and ceilings, automatic entrance doors, enhanced entry and native landscaping, new signage and display cases and updated furniture. It will reopen in winter 2022.
Mid-Continent Library Grandview Branch
The Grandview branch, 12930 Booth Lane, closed on July 3, 2020, for major renovation and expansion. The facility will expand by nearly 4,400 square feet to include a new community programming room, three small collaboration rooms and a dedicated children’s area, bringing its total size to over 17,000 square feet. Renovations include new carpeting, ceilings, display cases, lighting and windows, as well as improved Wi-Fi coverage. Automatic entrance doors will be installed along with new entranceways and native landscaping. The parking lot also will be repaired. The library is scheduled to reopen in late spring.