KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Readers, music lovers, computer geeks and anyone else who loves public libraries have reason to rejoice after the KCK School Board voted Tuesday night to move forward to build a new main branch of its public library.
The school board, which owns and operates the city's library system, voted 5-2 in favor of the proposal.
J.D. Rios, a longtime community activist and former office holder, gave an emotional plea about the need for a top notch library for the city's diverse mix of residents.
Rios pointed out Johnson County has built 4 new libraries and Olathe recently finished a new state-of-the art library and is building a new downtown library.
He said the Board of Education voted in 2014 to set aside money raised from a levy increase to go toward building a new main branch library.
That fund now has $20 million dollars, but the new library is expected to cost as much as $60 million.
Funds from donors, foundations and other benefactors will be used to pay for the library.
No renderings of what a new library would look like were shown at Tuesday's meeting.
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