(Omaha, NE) - The City will lease a temporary Omaha Public Library (OPL) downtown location for six months to provide library services while construction on the 1401 Jones building is completed. The opening date for 1401 Jones is now scheduled for March 1.

The temporary location at 1410 Howard will open September 1 to provide branch services including materials checkout and return, computer access, scanning, copying, printing and fax. Meeting rooms and programs (such as children’s’ reading programs) will not be available during this interim period.

The Howard location will be staffed by OPL employees currently at W. Dale Clark. The hours at 1410 Howard will be the same as the current hours at W. Dale Clark: Monday - Thursday 9am-7pm Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm Sunday       1-5pm.

The cost of the six-month lease is $4,500 monthly. It will be paid through the City’s General Fund and will not impact the OPL operating budget.

“The Howard Street location is convenient and accessible and allows us to continue service throughout this transition,” said Mayor Jean Stothert.

Metro routes 13 and 95 provide service to the 14th and Howard intersection. Five other routes serve 14th and Harney and 16th & Howard, all within two blocks. Metered parking is also available throughout the 14th and Howard area.

Construction on the 1401 Jones building is continuing. The additional time is needed to complete structural improvements to the two-story building to support the library materials and display features.

The cost of the building improvements will be paid by the owner, White Lotus Group.

“The City and the library’s Board of Trustees anticipated that the construction on the new downtown branch at 1401 Jones St. may not be complete simultaneously with the closure of W. Dale Clark Main Library,” said Omaha Public Library Executive Director Laura Marlane. “They planned for an interim space to ensure that library service to downtown residents and patrons would not be interrupted.”

The City Council’s Library Committee (Councilmembers Begley, Harding and Rowe) and the OPL Board of Trustees has been advised of the interim location and schedule. The Council voted on a resolution to approve the lease agreement on July 26.

Upcoming Dates:

End of August – W. Dale Clark will close to the public to begin the move of library materials and equipment. The move will be coordinated by Hallett & Sons Expert Movers, Inc.

The demolition of the W. Dale Clark is expected to begin October 1. The City Council approved the contract with Cox Contracting in June.