Advertisement New plans unveiled for Civic Auditorium site Omaha outlines designs to move downtown library Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The latest plan to develop the site of the former Omaha Civic Auditorium at 17th and Capitol includes designs for a new downtown public library, in addition to office, retail and residential space. The Omaha Planning Board will review the initial plat application at its meeting in May.Tetrad Property Group has submitted plans for a $200 million development."Our vision has always been a high quality, mixed-use development on this prime downtown real estate. We're enthusiastic about TPG's plan," said Mayor Jean Stothert in a news release.In a debate last week, Mayor Stothert mentioned the auditorium site as an ideal place for a library, since it's close to both Creighton University and Omaha Central High School. For more than a year, the Mayor has advocated developing the current site of the W. Dale Clark Library on the edge of the Gene Leahy Mall and building a new library on the old auditorium land.Lenora Isom, Vice President of the library Board of Trustees said moving the downtown branch has long been a conversation. She added, the library is waiting on a facilities master plan before making any final decisions. "Seeing an official press release is exciting. It certainly is bringing it to the forefront of people's minds again," Isom said, "As a board, we haven't discussed any specific branches and those buildings yet. But it is something we're looking forward to working with the mayor and the city council on." Mayor Stothert announced Tetrad Property Group as the developer on the project back in 2014. Initial plans for the redevelopment showed an office tower and less green space. In December 2016, those plans were tabled. At the press conference, the mayor said the changes are just part of the process. "It's basically what we talked about in the very beginning. The only thing different is in the beginning they drew in an office tower," Mayor Stothert said at a press conference Thursday, "That office tower isn't in there anymore, but they're still saying, if there's a company that wants an office tower build there they'll build it." The Tetrad development is projected to include retail stores, a grocery store, and office and residential space. Mayor Stothert said it is slated for completion in 2019.