The City of Riverside is moving forward in partnership with Mid-Continent Public Library to bring the Riverside branch further into the heart of Riverside.
At the Tuesday, March 1 meeting, the city’s board of aldermen approved a land swap with the library system, allowing construction of the new branch on the former QuikTrip property at the intersection of Vivion Road and Gateway Drive.
The city purchased the site in 2018 but development options were limited due to a gas pipeline on the property and non-competition agreements with QT. The swap with MCPL will allow development of that property and will free up the current library site off Vivion Road. The city plans to look into revitalization efforts in that area after the construction of the new library.
“This has been a long time coming and I’m very happy we’re getting ready to pass this ordinance for our community,” said mayor Kathy Rose. “We have nothing built yet, but we have hopes and dreams that we will build something great for our people.”
Library officials said the new branch will be in line with new construction completed across the Kansas City metro area, pointing at the new branch off Withers Road in Liberty as an example of the kind of facility to be built.
“The library is so much more to a community than just going in to read a book anymore and this community will thrive because of it,” Rose said.
MCPL officials noted the new location is on the Riverside trail system, giving the public better access to the new branch. The city’s clock tower on the corner also gives the site an attractive aesthetic, they said.
The library will continue to operate in its current location throughout construction, with a tentative timeline of about a year to two years before the new library branch opens.