OMAHA — As Omaha’s expansive main public library enters its final days, city officials say that a number of factors have raised the cost and delayed the opening of a new downtown library branch in the Old Market.
The city is on track to spend just less than $10 million on the new library branch and an administration building, a total reached after rising construction costs and evolving design plans added millions of dollars to the original renovation estimates.
While those factors also have prolonged the timeline for the downtown project, structural problems within the historic building at 1401 Jones St. have had a significant role in setting back the opening date, according to emails obtained by the Omaha World-Herald through a records request. The delay was significant enough that it led to the city’s decision to open a temporary library to fill service gaps, adding another step to the library shuffle.
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Under the city’s original plan, a new downtown library would have opened to the public in the renovated Jones Street building soon after the closure of the W. Dale Clark Library.
But as discussed in an email between city officials and Noddle Companies, the construction manager for the project, delays associated with reinforcing the building’s structure became a concern this spring.
“(Construction) efforts are experiencing delays associated with reinforcing the structure,†a Noddle Cos. manager stated in a May email. “The exact impact hasn’t yet been identified, but I think it prudent to revisit the conversation about a temporary space for the downtown branch.â€
A document shared with city officials in July by Noddle Cos. confirmed the delay, stating that “Unanticipated repairs needed to structural system at 1401 Jones caused core & shell completion date to push.â€
Carrie Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office, expanded on the problems in an email to The World-Herald this week.
An inspection by a structural engineer showed the need to reinforce the building to “accommodate library stacks, and when the ceiling was opened for work, there were rotted joists that need to be repaired,†Murphy said.
“Library stacks†are book storage areas.
The structural problems were discovered after layers of cork, concrete slabs, ceilings and walls were removed, revealing “a significant level of structural deterioration,†according to an analysis of the building completed by Performance Engineering in April.
The analysis found that water damage from rain and snow as well as interior moisture from the building’s use as a cold storage facility caused the structural problems.
The Jones Street building was initially constructed in 1912 for the David Cole Creamery. The W. Dale Clark Library was built in 1976 and was renovated in 1995.
Murphy said the costs of the structural repairs to the building will be covered by building owner White Lotus Group.
A White Lotus representative did not respond to an email inquiring about the financial contributions the company plans to make to the building.
Troy Anderson, a former deputy chief of staff for economic development in the Mayor’s Office, told the World-Herald that White Lotus’ investments into the building will far exceed the $1.5 million originally estimated.
Though the structural issues won’t contribute to an increase in costs covered by the city, the City of Omaha will pay $2.43 million more than originally anticipated on renovations to the Jones Street building.
Ronco Construction Company Inc. will be paid $3.93 million to renovate the building, which the city is leasing from White Lotus for 10 years at $465,000 a year, with an option to opt out of the lease or buy the building after five years.
When Mayor Jean Stothert first announced the library relocation plan in November, the Jones Street renovations were estimated at $3 million — a cost that would be split between the city and White Lotus.
The new price tag was one of several items on July 26.
Anderson said that “any increases in cost are a direct result of increased investment based on community engagement and stakeholder input, and inflation.â€
Jay Noddle, president of Noddle Co., said during last month’s City Council meeting that another reason the renovations have taken longer than expected “is because the design and construction marketplace is such that no matter what you do, numbers come back a heck of a lot higher than they used to be and a heck of a lot higher than we want them to be.â€
Extra time is needed to find substitutions for things “without compromising quality,†Noddle said.
The city has so far approved about $9.7 million for the move of the downtown library, including renovations, leases and temporary space costs, Anderson said.
To avoid a gap in downtown library services, city officials have approved an interim location at 1410 Howard St. in the Old Market.
The city will pay $27,000 to lease the building for six months as a temporary downtown branch. The city will also pay HDR Engineering $10,000 for design services for the temporary site, though the construction work to complete the interim space is expected to be minimal.
With 1401 Jones St. slotted for public services, the W. Dale Clark’s administrative services and archives will be moved to a former Shopko building at 3020 S. 84th St. Construction work is already underway.
The city will pay $2.53 million to renovate the space, and will pay $405,000 a year to lease the space under a 10-year lease. The original cost of remodeling that building was estimated at $500,000.
As for the W. Dale Clark, the city is paying $678,000 to demolish the building, which will clear the way for a new $600 million Mutual of Omaha headquarters. The Mutual skyscraper has been tied to the construction of an Omaha streetcar system, which the city will pursue as the development moves forward.
Since Stothert announced those plans in January, some Omaha residents have criticized the process as one that lacks transparency and prioritizes corporate interests over public spaces.
Supporters of the project point to a need for redevelopment and job growth in the city’s urban core, as well as the need for a modernized downtown library.
On the updated timeline, the interim downtown branch at 1410 Howard St. is expected to open to the public Aug. 29, the W. Dale Clark will close Aug. 28, and the permanent downtown branch at 1401 Jones St. will open in March 2023.