Mid-Continent Public Library is proud to announce the reopening of its Colbern Road Library Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri (1000 NE Colbern Road), on Wednesday, May 26, at 9:00 a.m. The branch has been closed for construction since March 2020, during which time the building was completely torn down and rebuilt more than twice as large with a variety of upgraded amenities.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome the community into this new and improved space,” said Colbern Road Library Center Manager Seth Moses. “We know it’s been a long journey, but we believe the expansion and improvements were definitely worth the wait and will provide tremendous value to our customers.”

The 33,000-square-foot building is now home to:

  • An enclosed community room with an operable partition wall that seats up to 240
  • A coffee shop occupied by Post Coffee Company
  • Children’s program room that seats 106
  • Five smaller collaboration rooms, which can be reserved for things like meetings and tutoring sessions
  • Outdoor patio seating
  • Coworking space for entrepreneurs and small businesses

In addition, the branch will serve as a home base for MCPL’s Square One Small Business Services team, which meets with small business owners and job seekers at MCPL branches and locations throughout the community.

On Friday, June 11, at 8:30 a.m. the Library will host a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials in the front outdoor patio area. Throughout the rest of the day and weekend, Library staff will hand out fine forgiveness tokens to customers and offer building tours. There will also be live music and a mobile scavenger hunt available via the free GooseChase app that customers can participate in for the chance to win a Post Coffee Co. gift certificate and gift card to Jazzy B’s Diner.

The construction of the Colbern Road Library Center is part of MCPL’s ongoing Capital Improvement Plan, which it launched following the passage of Proposition L in 2016—the first increase to the Library’s property tax levy in over three decades. The Library is working with Sapp Design Architects, Helix Architecture + Design, and JE Dunn to execute the Capital Plan, which to date, has included the renovation of 23 branches and the construction of the brand-new East Lee’s Summit Branch off SE Blue Parkway. Currently, four MCPL branches are under construction and four more are scheduled to be constructed or renovated.

More information about all of the Library’s construction projects can be found at mymcpl.org/Community.

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