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Architect says demolition and rebuild at 625 Minnesota offers best path to a 21st-century library
Summary
Brad McKenzie of SAP Design Architects told the Landmarks Commission that the 1966 building at 625 Minnesota Avenue has circulation, ADA, safety and functional constraints that prevent it from becoming a modern library; he presented four options and said the team favors demolishing and rebuilding while salvaging historic elements.
Brad McKenzie, partner at SAP Design Architects, told the Kansas City, Kansas Landmarks Commission that a 2025 assessment found significant operational and accessibility constraints in the 1966 building at 625 Minnesota Avenue and presented four high-level options the design team considered: restore with an addition, keep the building''bones' and alter (violating some preservation guidelines), demolish and rebuild, or repurpose part of the property while building a separate facility. McKenzie said the team ultimately favored demolishing the current structure and constructing a new library on the site while integrating selected historic elements.
McKenzie listed several practical limitations in the existing building ' vertical circulation cores that prevent open floor plans, lack of windows on primary facades, ADA and restroom noncompliance, code and fire-suppression needs, and operational inefficiency. "The bones of the building are pretty good, but it has ADA issues. It needs a fire suppression system installed," he said. On schedule, McKenzie told the commission the team hoped to obtain permission to demo the building by the end of August, begin schematic design in September, and start construction about the same time next year; he added that if demolition is not allowed the team would need to rework alternate solutions.
