The multi-year study of a new Community Center Campus in Harmon Park continues, with the City of Prairie Village, YMCA of Greater Kansas City, and Johnson County Library analyzing feedback gathered from the second public meeting on April 4, 2024, and responses to an online questionnaire. To allow for review and further site design refinement, the previously scheduled meeting on June 20, 2024, has been canceled. A new date for the third and final public meeting will be announced once it is set.  

The questionnaire, which received more than 500 responses, included three site options, and an option for no changes to the park. Forty-two percent of respondents chose Option B, a co-located community center and library on the northwest portion of the park. Twenty-six percent chose Option A, co-location on the southwest portion of the park; 24 percent chose Option D, no changes; and seven percent chose Option C, the community center located at the northwest portion of the park with the library located elsewhere.  

Taking into consideration public feedback, as well as other site factors, the project partners made a recommendation to the Prairie Village City Council to move forward with the conceptual design study phase using the Option B configuration at the meeting on May 20, 2024. During this meeting, the council requested additional information prior to proceeding with one site option. The project team is scheduled to return for a second presentation at a City Council  meeting in July. 

Following the next presentation and after receiving council direction, the project team plans to finalize the site configuration and conceptual design, as well as the funding mechanism and costs, to present at the third public meeting.  

After that, the City of Prairie Village, YMCA of Greater Kansas City, and Johnson County Library will determine the path forward. The project partners will negotiate terms prior to a public vote in Prairie Village. If PV residents approve the measure, the City and YMCA will allocate funds to advance the project, the YMCA will finalize private fundraising, and the entities would each work according to their own processes, collaborating when appropriate, to design and construct their separate buildings. If PV residents reject the measure, the YMCA would need to consider the future of the Paul Henson Family YMCA. 

Anticipated costs for construction and operation of a community center are expected to be shared between the City and YMCA. The funding mechanism (sales tax, and/or property tax, etc.) and the percentage of cost sharing are yet to be determined. Since funds have already been allocated for a new Corinth Library Branch, it is unaffected by the outcome of the public vote for the new Community Center. The Library Board of Directors has prioritized building a new Corinth Library regardless of the study’s outcome. The Library is also concurrently assessing the existing Corinth site, and the final location of a new Library facility will be determined by the Library Board.

If the Library Board votes to relocate to Harmon Park and PV residents approve the measure, the Library will work to construct the Corinth Library Branch Replacement in Harmon Park on a timeline informed by their Comprehensive Library Master Plan. If PV residents reject the measure, the Library will consider different locations for the planned Corinth Library Branch replacement to serve this community. 

If you missed it, view the public meeting materials on the project webpage  www.pvkansas.com/communitycenter.