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Residents and library foundation urge Landmarks Commission to allow demolition, citing long-standing funding and community need
Summary
Three public speakers — Rachel Russell, Rosalyn Brown, and Stevie Reynolds — urged the Landmarks Commission to approve demolition and rebuild at 625 Minnesota Ave, saying years of feasibility studies, voter-approved mill-levy funding, and sustained planning justify a new downtown library.
Multiple supporters spoke during public comment in favor of the demolition request. Rachel Russell, a Wyandotte County resident and former USD 500 board member, said the proposal is the product of nearly 2.5 years of feasibility studies, community engagement and financial analysis and reminded the commission that voters previously approved mill-levy funds dedicated to a new downtown library. "Those dedicated dollars have been collected over many years and will fund the majority of this project," Russell said.
Rosalyn Brown, chair of the Kansas City, Kansas Library Foundation Board, stressed the library's civic role and argued that approving demolition would continue the site's tradition as a public place and enable a library that serves all ages and needs. Stevie Reynolds, who has been involved in library planning since 2015, told commissioners that two separate feasibility studies concluded renovation would not deliver the desired modern library and emphasized the site's accessibility and historic role in the community.
