We need your input about what is happening next at 5701 Merriam Drive – the site of the Irene B. French Community Center (IBFCC). In 2020, the Parks and Recreation Department will leave the existing site and move operations to the new community center at Vavra Park. What comes next is of great interest throughout the community. Now is your chance to help the 5701 Merriam Drive Steering Committee determine new uses for the IBFCC and its surrounding areas.

The City of Merriam will hold two public meetings – April 29 and June 26 – at 7 p.m. at the IBFCC to share progress from the 5701 Merriam Drive Steering Committee and seek feedback from residents. Meeting activities on April 29 include an opportunity to provide ideas for the future, participate in surveys, and learn about what other cities are doing. Then come back on June 26 to see ideas that came out of the April meeting and learn about what comes next.

Last September, nearly two dozen residents applied to be on the 5701 Merriam Drive Steering Committee to explore possible options for the site. Nine Merriam residents now represent the steering committee. They are a diverse group of professional backgrounds and are distributed geographically in the City and across the age spectrum. The committee members will make a formal recommendation to the City Council for a preferred site option and funding strategy.

Find more information about the 5701 Merriam Drive Steering Committee and its meetings, agendas, minutes, and presentations at merriam.org/5701.