Faraon Street location will be site of new Rolling Hills Library

By Jenna Wilson

The Rolling Hills Library has announced plans to build a new St. Joseph facility to replace its Belt Branch, which could be open by early 2026.

Director Michelle Mears said the library was seeking a piece of ground that was accessible, affordable and relatively flat to minimize site preparation costs.

The new library will be located in the new development where the University of Missouri-Kansas City also plans to build a School of Medicine facility at the east end of Faraon Street, across from Mosaic Life Care.

After being located on the North Belt Highway for over 40 years, it was time for a change.

“So many people, even as they drive up and down the highway, don’t realize that this is a library,” Mears said. “It doesn’t look like a library and the entrance is hidden so we’ve had to work really hard to try and adapt a building that was not meant to be a library.”

The building, which was originally built to be a strip mall, is missing many necessary features, including a piece of ground that was accessible, affordable and relatively flat to minimize site preparation costs. The location also had to be in the library’s taxing district.

The project calls for a 36,000-square-foot building that houses the library, Bookmobile office and garage, Administration Office and the Friends of the Library’s used bookstore, Books Revisited. The estimated building project cost is $16 million, officials say.

“There is a lot of green area in this new location,” Mears said. “There’s a forest, fields and it feels like you’re closer to nature. That was one of the things that we really wanted was to have some outdoor space for programming and just for people to enjoy.”

The building of the new library will not cost taxpayers any additional money, as it will be paid for out of the library’s operating budget. Half of the funds for the new location are currently in reserve, and the rest will be financed.

“It would be a great investment for someone,” Mears said. “We have had the property appraised so we know what its current market value is so we’re hoping that an investor or someone would want to purchase it. That will also help us with funding because we can use those funds to help pay off the financing for the new building.”

The new site will be constructed throughout 2025 and they hope to complete it early in 2026.