Downtown, heart of Lincoln, central library…

by Mary Kay Roth • photos by Tom Tidball

Envision a razzle-dazzle library with interactive and dynamic children and teen reading areas — an incredible rooftop community auditorium — a recording studio — a teaching kitchen.

The long-awaited new Central Library for the community is finally on the drawing board and gradually becoming a reality for downtown Lincoln, with doors expected to open in 2028.

“This will be an unbelievably beautiful, innovative public space that demonstrates what a modern library can do for a community,” says Ryan Wieber, Lincoln City Libraries director. 

In fact, the heart of Lincoln is vibrating with energy these days as downtown continues a dramatic transformation.

“Downtown Lincoln is the region’s hub for entertainment, dining, and shopping, drawing residents and visitors alike,” says Todd Ogden, president and CEO of the Downtown Lincoln Association. “With an influx of new housing and residents, downtown is transforming from a traditional 9-to-5 business district into a 24/7 destination where people live, work, and play.”

Stroll along downtown streets and you can choose from an extensive range of restaurants, grabbing
a hamburger or sitting down for a beautifully prepared meal.

Pause for a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone. Stop by a museum, bookstore, Saturday Farmer’s Market, or the monthly First Friday event featuring a host of stunning art galleries.

Catch a movie or an outdoor concert — rock at the nationally known Zoo Bar — enjoy major musical events at the Lied Center for Performing Arts and Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Ogden cites a roster of upcoming and ongoing developments, such as:

Boehmer Street: Lincoln’s new music and entertainment district, energizing the live performance and nightlife scene.

Project O Street: A forward-looking redevelopment effort designed to enhance connectivity, vibrancy, and economic activity.

Convention Center: A state-of-the-art facility that will position Lincoln as a premier destination for regional and national events.

South Haymarket Park: A central new green space, providing recreation, gathering areas, and opportunities for outdoor events.

And now, adding even more, a Central Library will boost the vibrant vibe at the center of town.

The proposed project would create an 80,000-square-foot facility in the middle of downtown by purchasing and repurposing Southeast Community College’s Education Square building at 1111 O Street.

“We’re hearing a ton of excitement, and a ton of relief that it’s finally happening,” Wieber says. “I think people are rejoicing at the idea of repurposing an older building into something that will make a difference. It has meaning for so many people.”

He believes a library adds so much to the center of a community.

“First of all, a central library reflects services for the entire community, providing resources, collections, staffing… You feel its impact across every neighborhood branch. The preparation and delivery of books and materials, which all start at the central library.”

This library will also serve one of the highest, densely populated areas of the city, he continues, pointing out that a two-mile radius around the city’s central core serves an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 patrons.

“Lincoln’s new Central Library will be a catalyst for innovation and creativity,” Wieber says, “a hub for community connection, and a place where lifelong learning takes place through programming, experiences, civic engagement, and an introduction to culture, the arts, and ideas.”

Built with flexibility in mind, the library highlights will include:

•  A dynamic, future-focused space,

• Interactive and dynamic children and teen
reading areas for families to gather, hear stories, and hang out,

•  A rooftop community auditorium seating
300 people,

•  Digital labs,

•  A recording studio with video production capability,

•  A makerspace, and

•  A coffee shop open outside library hours.

The library will replace downtown’s aging Bennett Martin Public Library, built in 1962 with several additions over the years in 1968 and 1978.

“We designed a building that reflected the times,” Wieber says. “But it was built in different sections and wasn’t made for the square footage we know we need now… It’s a disjointed building with poor sight lines… It would be difficult to make the adaptations we need, and it would cost a great deal to prop it up one more time.”

The smarter and more prudent vision is to build a modern library with efficiencies and flexibilities, he explains, a building designed for today’s needs — a building that can be repurposed into the future.

The puzzle pieces are falling into place, Wieber continues, with funding that requires NO public vote and NO tax increase.

Significant funding will include: 

•  $23 million in municipal infrastructure bonds,

•  $5.2 million in interfund loans,

•  $18 million in private contributions — with a substantial portion already committed.

Demolition is expected to happen late summer, 2026, with construction soon to follow — and doors opening in the spring of 2028.

“We’re flying, we have so much momentum right now, it’s amazing,” Wieber says. “I’m incredibly happy for our community and for what this library will bring.”

A growing roster of signature events brings thousands downtown each year:

•  Halloween in the Haymarket

•  Shop the Blocks

•  Zoofest

•  Haymarket Farmers’ Market

•  Hub Farmers’ Market

•  Hub & Soul Music Series

•  Allo Music Series

•  First Friday Art Walk

Ongoing downtown highlights include:

•  Pinnacle Bank Arena

•  Lincoln Children’s Museum

•  Nebraska History Museum

•  Morrill Hall

•  Historic Haymarket District and The Railyard

•The Lied Center for Performing Arts

•  Saturday’s Farmer’s Market (spring through fall)

•  Sheldon Museum of Art

The new 8.5-acre South Haymarket Park underway on the edge of the Haymarket district, set to open in 2026.