Published December 22, 2024 | Updated June 15, 2026

Omaha was left without a permanent branch downtown after W. Dale Clark, its main branch since 1977, was razed. That’s no longer the case with the opening of a new branch at 14th and Jones Street west of the Old Market in 2023.

After my recent visit, I was personally blown away by the new downtown branch. In my opinion, it is much better than the library it replaced. Located within the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, the building blends in with its surroundings better and may even help extend the Old Market a bit further west.

The first floor is designed to invoke a cozy living room with relaxed seating areas, a seating stair overlooking a streetscape and computers as well as a children’s area. The second floor has the books you would expect to find as well as reading and meeting rooms. It also offers flexible space that allows it to grow and change based on the needs of the community.

The decision to raze the existing Brutalist-designed W. Dale Clark branch that overlooked Gene Leahy Mall and relocate the main branch to 72nd and Dodge was controversial, to say the least. The city first considered replacing the old building as far back as 2010, when it hired consultants who deemed the building that opened in 1977 to be inefficient and underutilized.

The city decided to pull the trigger in 2021 and selected a historic building at 1401 Jones Street as its new downtown branch. The building started its life in 1912 as the home to David Cole Creamery Company before being turned into cold storage by 1940 and later becoming an auto parts supply business.

The city signed a 10-year lease including a 5-year opt out and began work on its transformation. The project team took special care to preserve the historic integrity of the building, including its masonry, tilework, tin ceilings and exposed wood beams. Today, it retains its original limestone window sills as well as its prominent brickwork patterned in a mosaic diamond. Commissioned artwork as well as distinctive photography pays homage to the history of the building and the city. It was complemented with modern finishes of wood, steel and expansive windows. For its effort, the downtown branch of the Omaha Public Library was awarded the 2024 Best Design Award for Adaptive-Reuse Education from The Architect’s Newspaper.

Meanwhile, the land where W. Dale Clark used to sit between Farnam and Douglas Streets and from 14th to 15th Streets is the future home to the new Mutual of Omaha Headquarters, which will become the tallest building in not just Omaha or Nebraska but several surrounding states.

If you’re like me, you were probably a little skeptical that the main branch downtown was being razed and replaced with the Central Public Library at 72nd and Dodge. While the move of its main branch outside the urban core is unusual for a library, I find the new branch to be an improvement over its predecessor even if many of its services have moved. Perhaps this new branch will also spur development west from the Old Market to an area that retains some of the same charm with its cobblestone streets and brick buildings.

The Downtown Branch is open Mon-Thurs from 9 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Fri-Sat from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sun from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

I’d love to hear what you have to say so please feel free to comment. Until next time, keep exploring!

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