OLATHE, Kan. — A new, state-of-the-art library just opened in downtown Olathe, and it’s unlike anything else in the Kansas City metro.

The building at Santa Fe and Chestnut streets is four stories high. With space limited, the city built up instead of out.

The first floor has a cafe and theater area; all the books are on the second floor; the third floor is for magazines and computers, along with an outdoor terrace; and the fourth floor is for research.

It took a year and a half to build this $25 million library, and many believe it will encourage others to invest in downtown Olathe.

“We are hoping the library will be that catalyst for new development, a new energy here in downtown Olathe. We wanna be a part of that,” library manager Sarra Eccles said.

“We’ve seen a lot of that the last couple of weeks as people have come up to the building before we open … just eager to get in.”

The library is nearly twice as big as the old downtown Olathe library, and it has many more windows to make it bright inside.

It also features a large multiuse room, a creative space, numerous meeting and study rooms, and a local history area.