Omaha Central library (SWC 72 & Dodge)

[Athomsfere]

After the big streetcar/MoO HQ announcement earlier this week, Heritage, HDR, APMA, MSS, & Do Space were like “ Hey wait a minute, don’t forget about us and our new central library juggernaut coming your way soon to 72nd and Dodge.” ‘And don’t forget to give us your input.”

But nevertheless, this is exciting news for the Crossroads area! How long until the street car gets extended out to Crossroads? Or will ORBT serve that purpose indefinitely?

I still think I’d rather see the new so-called “central library” at the west end of GLM. Also, will it still have books?

Or another site on the streetcar line. Even a spot in midtown where MoO is vacating would be better than 72nd & Dodge.

Not if you live in far West Omaha.

Which, if some one has chosen a lifestyle that put them that far from the core, than too bad. We shouldn't cater the middle class and white flight model that has done so much to destroy the urban fabric of Omaha.

Especially when it takes so much away from North and South O, and those who have chosen lifestyles in the core.

[GetUrban]

After the big streetcar/MoO HQ announcement earlier this week, Heritage, HDR, APMA, MSS, & Do Space were like “ Hey wait a minute, don’t forget about us and our new central library juggernaut coming your way soon to 72nd and Dodge.” ‘And don’t forget to give us your input.”

But nevertheless, this is exciting news for the Crossroads area! How long until the street car gets extended out to Crossroads? Or will ORBT serve that purpose indefinitely?

I still think I’d rather see the new so-called “central library” at the west end of GLM. Also, will it still have books?

Or another site on the streetcar line. Even a spot in midtown where MoO is vacating would be better than 72nd & Dodge.

Not if you live in far West Omaha.

Which, if some one has chosen a lifestyle that put them that far from the core, than too bad. We shouldn't cater the middle class and white flight model that has done so much to destroy the urban fabric of Omaha.

Especially when it takes so much away from North and South O, and those who have chosen lifestyles in the core.

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

[PotatoeEatsFish]

Wanting to live suburban is not the same as super-West O, they're a whole different level out there

[Athomsfere]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

[Greg S]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

With all of that being said, how much usage does the DT Library get?


Greg

[legato9]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

Not trying to be a douchelord, but none of this data is useful. There are so many assumptions baked in that it's just not valid.

What percent of users are from any of those given locations?
What percent of the users from each of those locations use public transit vs drive?
How many visits do all of the above users make in a year?
What percent of users will be from those locations if the library is moved?
What percent of users will use public transit vs drive if the library is moved?
How will moving the library affect the number of annual visits from people in each location?

And about a thousand other questions.

It may well turn out that the current location is a net time savings. But we'd have to be able to answer a great many questions to find out.

And even then, time saving isn't our only metric.

Would there be a net gain in overall development in Omaha if it was moved? (This would require answering a whole slew of new questions.)

What is the opportunity cost of putting it downtown (where space is more limited)? (Slew more questions.)

Would it get the same financial backing downtown? (Few more questions.)

The complexity of this analysis would likely require quite the team with pretty significant expertise in a variety of fields.

[Brad]

May be this has already been answered, but what services will downtown people loose when the downtown Library moves 5 blocks south to 14th and Jones? I'm assuming 1401 Jones will still have computers, books, etc. 1401 Jones will transfer books in and out from other branches.

What PUBLIC services will not be available at 1401 Jones that you can currently get on Farman street?

[Dundeemaha]

I don't think they've released the details of what parts of the current main library will move to the Shopko until the new main library is built. Since 1401 Jones will be a standard branch location instead of the main library the 3 things I can think of that I've enjoyed at the main library that branches don't have are:

- Geneology Room (really neat stuff with old census sheets, birth/death records, fun stuff to browse if your family has been here for awhile)
- Historic Maps / Newspapers
- Art Gallery

[Brad]

Interesting, so how is all that data stored and handled? Digital, paper, micro fish? Is there library staff that supervise this process if it is paper?

Also, I thought most Omaha Libraries had a gallery space. Seems like it would be easy to incorporate that in to a new space.

[nebport5]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

With all of that being said, how much usage does the DT Library get?


Greg

The better question is how much usage will any potential new location get? I think any new location will experience better patronage than the current DT location.

[ita]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

With all of that being said, how much usage does the DT Library get?


Greg

The better question is how much usage will any potential new location get? I think any new location will experience better patronage than the current DT location.

The central library at 72nd and Dodge is going to see more usage because it will have, essentially, DoSpace access to technology, not necessarily because of location. They could build a tech-heavy library downtown with a new, less dungeon like floorplan and they would see similar usage. I think the bigger plus to the 72nd and Dodge site is parking. Omahans are going to drive. But with the streetcar finally in the works, new bike lanes and existing bus service in Downtown, any downtown location would be more accessible to a broader population of people who really need library services and the type of technology DoSpace offers.

I laughed when, in one of the articles about the project, a fellow from HDR bragged that the area is going to be great for pedestrians. Dodge is built as a highway with wide and numerous lanes and 72nd and Dodge is literally one of the busiest intersections in the City, and not for pedestrian and bike traffic. That is only going to get worse with Crossroads and other nearby development.

[nebport5]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

With all of that being said, how much usage does the DT Library get?


Greg

The better question is how much usage will any potential new location get? I think any new location will experience better patronage than the current DT location.

The central library at 72nd and Dodge is going to see more usage because it will have, essentially, DoSpace access to technology, not necessarily because of location.

Precisely. I agree...so are you playing devil's advocate here?

They could build a tech-heavy library downtown with a new, less dungeon like floorplan and they would see similar usage. I think the bigger plus to the 72nd and Dodge site is parking. Omahans are going to drive. But with the streetcar finally in the works, new bike lanes and existing bus service in Downtown, any downtown location would be more accessible to a broader population of people who really need library services and the type of technology DoSpace offers.

I laughed when, in one of the articles about the project, a fellow from HDR bragged that the area is going to be great for pedestrians. Dodge is built as a highway with wide and numerous lanes and 72nd and Dodge is literally one of the busiest intersections in the City, and not for pedestrian and bike traffic. That is only going to get worse with Crossroads and other nearby development.

So cater to car culture? It's the Omaha way I suppose. Being a pedestrian in the 72 & Dodge area is ambitious. There may not be ample parking at 1401 Jones but there's plenty of space DT for parking and a library of this magnitude. And yes, Crossroads is only going to make it worse thus a good reason to avoid the area as much as possible. Say hypothetically you could drive further east to the same kind of library in less time than it would take to navigate the 72nd & Dodge corridor and secure parking? Perhaps Heritage will have the foresight to have valet parking at 72nd & Dodge for the West West Omaha folks for their quinquennial trip to the posh library.

[ita]

People are free to live wherever they want for whatever stage in life they are. No point in stirring up resentment amongst those who have made choices to suit whatever works best for them and their families. I’m very pro-urban but have not spent my whole life living near the urban core. I’ve found at this stage in in my life I wanted to try living outside of the immediate area surrounding the core. I may move back eventually if I decide to.

And I agree with this. West O should have libraries, schools, police, roads and all the services a US city provides.

What we shouldn't do, is take something iconic and fitting for the core, and move it out west to make it more "central". As we've discussed here, this move makes it in many ways less accessible to a large portion of Omaha too.

Transit examples:
Zoo to Current: 11 minutes
Zoo to 72nd and Dodge: 43 minutes

24th and Lake
Current: 18 minutes
72nd: 31 minutes

Old Market
Current: 4 minutes
72nd: 29 minutes

Village Point
Current: 1 hr 5 minutes
72nd: 45 minutes

Of course, we all know west Omaha will just drive it:
Current: 21 minutes
72nd: 15 minutes


So keeping the current location has the smallest impact to everyone, and encourages the right kind of growth.

(All numbers are me using Google Maps, just now, to plot the courses using the transit, or drive option and using the fastest option)

With all of that being said, how much usage does the DT Library get?


Greg

The better question is how much usage will any potential new location get? I think any new location will experience better patronage than the current DT location.

The central library at 72nd and Dodge is going to see more usage because it will have, essentially, DoSpace access to technology, not necessarily because of location.

Precisely. I agree...so are you playing devil's advocate here?

They could build a tech-heavy library downtown with a new, less dungeon like floorplan and they would see similar usage. I think the bigger plus to the 72nd and Dodge site is parking. Omahans are going to drive. But with the streetcar finally in the works, new bike lanes and existing bus service in Downtown, any downtown location would be more accessible to a broader population of people who really need library services and the type of technology DoSpace offers.

I laughed when, in one of the articles about the project, a fellow from HDR bragged that the area is going to be great for pedestrians. Dodge is built as a highway with wide and numerous lanes and 72nd and Dodge is literally one of the busiest intersections in the City, and not for pedestrian and bike traffic. That is only going to get worse with Crossroads and other nearby development.

So cater to car culture? It's the Omaha way I suppose. Being a pedestrian in the 72 & Dodge area is ambitious. There may not be ample parking at 1401 Jones but there's plenty of space DT for parking and a library of this magnitude. And yes, Crossroads is only going to make it worse thus a good reason to avoid the area as much as possible. Say hypothetically you could drive further east to the same kind of library in less time than it would take to navigate the 72nd & Dodge corridor and secure parking? Perhaps Heritage will have the foresight to have valet parking at 72nd & Dodge for the West West Omaha folks for their quinquennial trip to the posh library.

Free parking is about the only 'good' thing about the dospace spot, that and it puts the central distribution closer to the suburban branches. I try to see both sides of any issue. Unfortunately, having considered both, I think heritage and the city is making a huge mistake moving the central/main library to 72nd and dodge.

[Original]

I am confident there are plenty of factors (cost, road closures etc) not to do this, but if the city would build a bridge over Dodge (say around 74th?), allowing pedestrian access between the Library and Crossroads without having to deal with traffic, that might increase the walkability. Alternatively, a short-hop bus from library to Crossroads parking.... I feel like there are plenty of options here, but they would require the city to get the developer to do something that is not solely in the developer's profit interests, and that won't happen.

[nebport5]

I am confident there are plenty of factors (cost, road closures etc) not to do this, but if the city would build a bridge over Dodge (say around 74th?), allowing pedestrian access between the Library and Crossroads without having to deal with traffic, that might increase the walkability. Alternatively, a short-hop bus from library to Crossroads parking.... I feel like there are plenty of options here, but they would require the city to get the developer to do something that is not solely in the developer's profit interests, and that won't happen.

Here's what I proposed in the Crossroads thread hovering

[Athomsfere]

The only way I could get behind moving this to 72nd, personally would be a massive overhaul of the area.

A greenway from MTC for pedestrian / bicycles.

Replacing the NE, SE, and SW corners with development more hospitable for humans to be at. Less of the big parking for little stripmalls.

A skywalk / tunnel system to get the greenway users from any corner, to any other corner without crossing Dodge.

Also, thanks Ita. I was waiting for your comments. I too try to see it from as many perspectives as possible. And while I can see a lot of why traditional Omaha / American Urban development might see this hub and spoke, suburban model as a beneficial: I agree that it (unintuitively) erodes a lot of what we actually need from the main library.

[nebport5]

The only way I could get behind moving this to 72nd, personally would be a massive overhaul of the area.

A greenway from MTC for pedestrian / bicycles.

Replacing the NE, SE, and SW corners with development more hospitable for humans to be at. Less of the big parking for little stripmalls.

A skywalk / tunnel system to get the greenway users from any corner, to any other corner without crossing Dodge.

Also, thanks Ita. I was waiting for your comments. I too try to see it from as many perspectives as possible. And while I can see a lot of why traditional Omaha / American Urban development might see this hub and spoke, suburban model as a beneficial: I agree that it (unintuitively) erodes a lot of what we actually need from the main library.

I like the idea of this but not sure there's room for something like that. If they are going to insist on a geographically central location I'd much rather see the library in or near Arksarben.

[Athomsfere]

The only way I could get behind moving this to 72nd, personally would be a massive overhaul of the area.

A greenway from MTC for pedestrian / bicycles.

Replacing the NE, SE, and SW corners with development more hospitable for humans to be at. Less of the big parking for little stripmalls.

A skywalk / tunnel system to get the greenway users from any corner, to any other corner without crossing Dodge.

Also, thanks Ita. I was waiting for your comments. I too try to see it from as many perspectives as possible. And while I can see a lot of why traditional Omaha / American Urban development might see this hub and spoke, suburban model as a beneficial: I agree that it (unintuitively) erodes a lot of what we actually need from the main library.

I like the idea of this but not sure there's room for something like that. If they are going to insist on a geographically central location I'd much rather see the library in or near Arksarben.

While the area is certainly much nicer, and connects to the Bike paths... I'm not sure this is overall any better.

Maybe you could expand on it?

[buildomaha]

The idea of pedestrian skywalks around intersections represent about disregard for pedestrians imo. If you’ve ever been to Vegas, where they have sad sidewalks corralled in, and the only way to cross the highway running through the strip is to go up onto bridges across intersections, then yuck experiences it.
I understand that dodge is an important thoroughfare that carries a lot of traffic, but the road and it’s intersections should really be more accessible for other forms of transportation, at least from 72nd east.

[buildomaha]

Sorry for getting off topic, but to add to the actual conversation: I think many of us are extremely disappointed to see another aspect of the moving around of the library we’re already decided by the people in powers in Omaha, without consultation of the citizens.

[nativeomahan]

Why tear out Do Space, when there is a $hit ton of empty land directly across Dodge Street that has sat basically unused since the turn of the century?

[S.O.Boy]

The only way I could get behind moving this to 72nd, personally would be a massive overhaul of the area.

A greenway from MTC for pedestrian / bicycles.

Replacing the NE, SE, and SW corners with development more hospitable for humans to be at. Less of the big parking for little stripmalls.

A skywalk / tunnel system to get the greenway users from any corner, to any other corner without crossing Dodge.

Also, thanks Ita. I was waiting for your comments. I too try to see it from as many perspectives as possible. And while I can see a lot of why traditional Omaha / American Urban development might see this hub and spoke, suburban model as a beneficial: I agree that it (unintuitively) erodes a lot of what we actually need from the main library.

I like the idea of this but not sure there's room for something like that. If they are going to insist on a geographically central location I'd much rather see the library in or near Arksarben.

That would have worked, if the city would thought of that 5 years ago.

[ita]

Planning for Omaha’s New Library: A Librarian's Perspective

Edwin Schroeder
As a librarian and recent transplant to Omaha, it has been an eye-opening experience to learn about how decisions were made for the future of the Omaha Public Library.

My wife and I relocated to Omaha this past summer for her teaching position at the University of Nebraska Omaha, excited to explore a new part of the country. We decided to live downtown so that we could take advantage of the food, culture, the ability to walk and bike everywhere, and good public transportation to UNO. As I have slowly explored the city, its architecture and history, not surprisingly, I became a regular user of the Omaha Public Library.

Soon, I began seeing articles in newspapers and online news-sites about proposals to tear down the W. Dale Clark Library and distribute the collections elsewhere. It was difficult to learn more about the plans for the library. Although the recent announcement about the Mutual of Omaha headquarters and the streetcar line provided some background information, it also has distracted attention from the future of the library.

This is a thoughtful piece about what went wrong and what steps can be taken to improve the process.

[bigredmed1]

A friend works at the downtown library. She is pumped for this move. The work space is too small and the interior design leaves the top several floors open so they hear lots of first floor noise.

[S.O.Boy]

A friend works at the downtown library. She is pumped for this move. The work space is too small and the interior design leaves the top several floors open so they hear lots of first floor noise.

Now that you mention it, I do remember lots of other floor noise.

[Athomsfere]

A friend works at the downtown library. She is pumped for this move. The work space is too small and the interior design leaves the top several floors open so they hear lots of first floor noise.

The move to the Jones location?

[bigredmed1]

The Jones location is temp and they apparently are getting a quieter and larger work space and there will be a better long term structure in the general area of the Do Space.

[bigredmed1]

A friend works at the downtown library. She is pumped for this move. The work space is too small and the interior design leaves the top several floors open so they hear lots of first floor noise.

The move to the Jones location?

That is temp and the plans for the DoSpace area will be a long term plus.

[S.O.Boy]

Was this what DoSpace was thinking when they bought the building to the West and demolished it? And if the main branch is at 72nd & Dodge, do we really need W. Clarke Swanson Branch at 9101 W. Dodge Rd.?

[nebport5]

Was this what DoSpace was thinking when they bought the building to the West and demolished it? And if the main branch is at 72nd & Dodge, do we really need W. Clarke Swanson Branch at 9101 W. Dodge Rd.?

question 1: Add to the 72nd & Dodge corridor's sea of asphalt (also known as parking).

question 2: Probably not. It'll probably be sold to White Lotus for a $1.

[NEDodger]

Was this what DoSpace was thinking when they bought the building to the West and demolished it? And if the main branch is at 72nd & Dodge, do we really need W. Clarke Swanson Branch at 9101 W. Dodge Rd.?

Your “non-malcontent” answers:

1. Probably. If the Calgary library is what this is based on, this will likely be a large building requiring more land.

2. We won’t. The trade offs will be main library from downtown to 72nd and Dodge and a branch from 90th and Dodge to downtown.

[Greg S]

Everyone keeps talking about parking at 72nd and Dodge. Won't this be right across Dodge from an ORBT stop? Have we thrown in the towel on ORBT?


Greg

[Taco]

In the past Restoration Exchange has worked towards local landmark status for Swanson library. It's not listed on the local landmark website, so it must not have been wholly successful, but I am sure the wheels will continue turning in the preservation community. Swanson has unique, increasingly-appreciated architecture and has survived previous closure attempts. I don't see a wrecking ball in its future.

[NEDodger]

In the past Restoration Exchange has worked towards local landmark status for Swanson library. It's not listed on the local landmark website, so it must not have been wholly successful, but I am sure the wheels will continue turning in the preservation community. Swanson has unique, increasingly-appreciated architecture and has survived previous closure attempts. I don't see a wrecking ball in its future.

I don't necessarily see a wrecking ball, but possibly repurposed into something else. There just won't be a need for libraries at both 90th and 72nd.

[GetUrban]

In the past Restoration Exchange has worked towards local landmark status for Swanson library. It's not listed on the local landmark website, so it must not have been wholly successful, but I am sure the wheels will continue turning in the preservation community. Swanson has unique, increasingly-appreciated architecture and has survived previous closure attempts. I don't see a wrecking ball in its future.

I don't necessarily see a wrecking ball, but possibly repurposed into something else. There just won't be a need for libraries at both 90th and 72nd.

Hopefully it will be spared from the wrecking ball. It’s a great mid-century modern design and should definitely be repurposed if no longer needed in the library system.

[https://omaha.com/news/in-its-near-50-y ... 49ab2.html[/url]

[Athomsfere]

I'm probably in the minority again, but I do think the Clark is a much better looking building.

Swanson looks more like one of those trailer classroom schools on a very tight budget used to add classrooms.

[bigredmed1]

I'm probably in the minority again, but I do think the Clark is a much better looking building.

Swanson looks more like one of those trailer classroom schools on a very tight budget used to add classrooms.

My connection in the library said that the Swanson library will likely go. It’s hard to get in and out of. The library on North 90th is busier and the Millard Branch is the busiest branch between Chicago and Denver. Swanson will get sold.

[Brad]

My connection in the library said that the Swanson library will likely go. It’s hard to get in and out of. The library on North 90th is busier and the Millard Branch is the busiest branch between Chicago and Denver. Swanson will get sold.

I can see Swanson becoming an office for an architecture firm or something like that. Cool looking building. Whoever buys it needs to deal with that nasty rusted fence along the north side along dodge.

[S.O.Boy]

Everyone keeps talking about parking at 72nd and Dodge. Won't this be right across Dodge from an ORBT stop? Have we thrown in the towel on ORBT?


Greg

Might have. They are proposing a streetcar line 3 blocks South of ORBT Eastern end at $10 a block.

[GetUrban]

Everyone keeps talking about parking at 72nd and Dodge. Won't this be right across Dodge from an ORBT stop? Have we thrown in the towel on ORBT?


Greg

Might have. They are proposing a streetcar line 3 blocks South of ORBT Eastern end at $10 a block.

Depends on what percentage of DoSpace users will continue to drive vs. trying out the ORBT and how far they have to walk to get on or how far they have to walk after they get off the ORBT or transfer to another bus route. Another factor is: are they coming from more widely dispersed homes or a more concentrated location such as UNO or apartments along the line.