The W. Dale Clark Library in downtown will move four blocks south of its current location in conjunction with the renovation of the Gene Leahy Mall.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announced the branch will move to 1401 Jones St. and will separate from the administrative offices of the Omaha Public Library system.

Preparations for the move will begin early next year prior to the reopening of the Gene Leahy Mall on Memorial Day weekend. The city said “numerous developers are interested in the property” at the west end of the mall.

“New development brings new employees, residents and amenities to downtown Omaha, it’s all connected,” Stothert said.

The facility at 14th and Jones streets will include materials for checkout, meeting spaces and access to computers. Library administration and central distribution will move to the vacant Shopko store at 84th and Frederick streets.

City officials have been contemplating the replacement of the W. Dale Clark library since 2010, after Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants developed a facilities master plan for OPL. The plan was updated by Himmel & Wilson in 2017.

The consultants concluded that the current main library is dated, inefficient and underutilizes the space, and noted that the building design makes it costly to operate.

 “Replacement of the main library should be seriously considered,” the 2017 master plan states.

Stothert said the Jones Street location meets the consultant recommendations and the city’s goals.

“In its 2017 report, Himmel & Wilson recognized that public libraries are important for economic revitalization and community transformation,” Stothert said.

Stothert said she has signed a letter of intent to lease 1401 Jones St. from the White Lotus Group for 10 years at an annual cost of $465,000. The city has the option to purchase the building or opt out of the lease after five years.

White Lotus and the city will split evenly the $3 million in costs to design, renovate and equip the building. The city said it plans to use general fund, bond funding and savings from relocating the branch and OPL operations to pay for its share of the estimated costs.

The 42,000-square-foot building has three floors, and the city will lease 30,000 square feet on two levels for library services.

The Jones Street location will have limited on-street parking with five nearby lots and garages.

The city said that existing materials at the main library will be shifted to other branches and remain accessible to the public. All OPL branch and administrative staff will retain their jobs.

Stothert also signed a letter of intent to lease the former Shopko at 3020 S. 84th St. from Frederick Square Ltd. The 10-year lease has an annual cost of $405,000.

An estimated $500,000 remodeling will help prepare the 89,312-square-foot building to house OPL administrative offices, circulation and central distribution.

The city has also received a proposal to oversee the transition to the new spaces, including design and construction management, for $360,000. The process is expected to last for about 10 months.

Agreements will be presented to the OPL Board of Trustees and the Omaha City Council for approval.

“We are excited to work with the Mayor’s Office on this major endeavor,” said Mike Kennedy, president of library board. “We are committed to continue to serve our patrons downtown and across the city during this major transition.”

The W. Dale Clark move comes as OPL is developing a strategic plan focused on services and programs for the next three to five years. The plan will be presented to the library board in March.

The city is also in discussions with Heritage Services, a nonprofit that has coordinated donations to many buildings across Omaha, to invest in the Omaha Public Library system. Stothert has said there are no plans to privatize OPL.

The OPL Board of Trustees has voted to support a public-private partnership with Heritage Services to expand library facilities, services and technology.

The library board “agrees to lend its support to working jointly with Heritage Services, the City of Omaha, and other community stakeholders to create a plan for enhancing existing and creating new public library spaces and programming for the benefit of all citizens of Omaha,” according to the unanimously adopted resolution.

“This resolution is about having a discussion,” Kennedy said. “They’re going to stay public libraries, there will be a public board.”

Heritage projects include the Kiewit Luminarium, under construction on the Omaha Riverfront, as well as the Siena Francis House homeless shelter, the VA  Ambulatory Center, Baxter Arena, the Kroc Center, and numerous others. Heritage also established Do Space through its nonprofit Community Information Trust.

“We can develop a world-class, amazing central library, the most important civic space in our city,” said Heritages Services President Rachel Jacobsen. “I’m really excited about the potential.”

The current W. Dale Clark Library opened in 1976 and was renovated in 1995. It takes up a city block from 14th to 15th streets from Douglas to Farnam streets.

The new branch may keep the W. Dale Clark name or might be renamed. Clark was a banker, Omaha civic leader and Omaha World-Herald board member. 

Donors, including First National Bank of Omaha, United States National Bank, the Omaha World-Herald Foundation, Omaha Public Library Board President Milton R. Abrahams, Mrs. W. Dale Clark, and anonymous donors paid for the design and construction of the building, the city said in a news release.

The City Naming Committee — which has only been called together once since 2013, to name Flanagan Lake — will consider whether to retain the name or recommend a different name.