City terminates Williams library lease at Arnold Elementary as it prepares for move

Lincoln City Libraries is terminating its lease with Lincoln Public Schools for the 2,500 square feet it occupied at Arnold since 2009 after the district rebuilt the school just north of the Arnold Heights neighborhood.

The Williams Branch will move just east of the school into the new, $6.5 million Air Park Rec Center in Huskerville Park after construction is complete next spring, said Assistant Library Director Traci Glass.

Glass said there are "various circumstances" behind the move, including new hours and programming the library is exploring with the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department.

Safety is a major consideration at the current location, which operates limited hours because it's joined to a school. While Williams has a separate public entrance, it is connected to Arnold's library by shared doors, which remain locked.

"We have loved partnering with LPS," Glass said, but called the move "a unique opportunity" that also frees up space for LPS.

The library will occupy roughly the same amount of room in the new 24,000-square-foot facility, which will replace the old Air Park Rec Center 4 miles to the south.

The 99-year lease signed back in 2007 will end June 1, 2023, a rough date for when the library will be in its new digs. But the termination agreement lets the city vacate at its convenience because construction is still underway at the rec center, said LPS Director of Operations Scott Wieskamp.

LPS is exploring its options on how to repurpose the space once that happens. Some ideas include adding classrooms to Arnold, which continues to be near its 790-student capacity. This fall, it's projected to have 750 students.

"We're contemplating a number of things," Wieskamp said. "It's adjacent to our library and the building was even designed for potential expansions, and we'll look at student enrollment."

Since the city paid for the construction of the library and owned the space, LPS will pay about $258,000 in a prorated reimbursement.

The Williams Branch has a long history in northwest Lincoln. The library first started out in a Housing Authority duplex in 1973 before relocating in 2009 after LPS rebuilt Arnold a few blocks south of the old school.

The city contributed funding for the space at the 97,000-square-foot school, which is just west of Northwest 48th Street.

While Arnold is the only school with a public library, LPS has built schools attached to rec centers and YMCA branches.

Last October, the city held an open house to go over plans for the new Air Park Rec Center, which will also feature a gym, community space and weight room.