Gretna's Library and City Hall Move Under One Roof in February. What Happens to the Buildings Downtown?

If you've returned a book at the Children's Library on McKenna Avenue or paid a bill at City Hall, you've used the buildings that are now listed for sale. Who buys them, and what will they do with three old public buildings in the middle of downtown Gretna? According to the mayor's Fall 2026 newsletter, the City of Gretna plans to open its new Community Complex in February 2027. City Hall and library services will move into it, and the old downtown buildings have been on the market since late spring. As of that newsletter, which was posted October 16, the City Council was still weighing several proposals.

The move takes Gretna's civic center out of downtown and puts it by the highway. That leaves the city one main way to shape downtown's future, and that's choosing who gets the keys.

Three Buildings, Three Price Points

In August, KMTV reported the asking prices for the downtown properties.

The spread is useful. A local business owner could look at the Children's Library, while the City Hall and Old Fire Hall pair is a much bigger commitment. KMTV reported that every offer goes through the city and gets a City Council vote. That's why the sale is a public decision about downtown, not just a property deal. Interest has been real. Minutes from the August 24 Library Board meeting note that the library director was setting up building tours with the city's real estate representative.

The city has said plainly what it wants. In the same KMTV report, city real estate representative Austin Obermeyer described the goal this way:

"We think the best next use for them is some sort of business, businesses that will bring an energy to downtown that they're looking for, a vibe hopefully somebody that can kind of create this halo effect."

He also told KMTV that a fair price matters, but the city's main priority is finding "stewards of these buildings, people that care about downtown." The mayor's newsletter calls the move "a new chapter for downtown Gretna" and an opportunity to bring in new businesses, jobs and amenities. No buyers or proposed uses have been named publicly.

Why the Sale Price Still Matters to the New Building

The downtown sale is tied to the cost of the complex. In July 2026, KETV reported that the project's $33 million cost would be covered by bonds, state grants and the sale of old city property, and quoted the mayor saying taxes would not be affected. That $33 million is the most recent figure. In December 2025, construction manager Weitz called it a $35 million facility in its year-end project roundup.

Combined, the three asking prices come to $2.35 million, or about 7 percent of the $33 million budget. That won't build the complex. It's still a meaningful share alongside the state money. Nebraska's 2025 Civic and Community Center Financing Fund awarded the project $562,000 for construction, with Gretna matching that amount locally. The Gretna Public Library Foundation has run its own capital campaign, called "Writing Our Story." In early 2024, KETV reported the Foundation hoped to raise more than $3 million over three years.

This explains the city's careful wording. The council has a financial reason to take a good offer and a downtown reason to pick the right buyer, and both reasons will come up in the same vote.

What Opens at Highway 6/31 and Jansen Drive

The new building goes up at Highway 6/31 and Jansen Drive, beside the Gretna Crossing Park water tower. The city describes it as more than 60,000 square feet. Sinclair Hille Architects led the design in partnership with Multistudio. Weitz Company is the construction manager, and Project Control is the city's owner's representative.

Here's what the city and its partners have said will be inside:

• The library, under one roof. Gretna's adult and children's library services, now split between two downtown buildings, are being combined. KETV reported the adult and teen library will be on the second floor and the children's library on the first.
• A maker space. City staff told KETV the equipment will include 3-D printers.
• A teaching kitchen that will also be available to rent.
• Event space for weddings, celebrations and larger meetings.
• City Hall functions, including Council chambers and more room for city staff.
• Outdoor event areas and a promenade within a surrounding mixed-use development.

None of the published descriptions mention a pool, gym or courts. The fitness side of that area already exists. When the project was first proposed, KETV described the site as near the Gretna YMCA. According to the newsletter, the YMCA now has more than 10,000 members and logged almost 14,000 Child Watch visits between January and August 2026.

The opening date has moved a few times on its way to February:

1. February 2024: KETV reported plans for a new City Hall, library and community center on 35 acres, with the mayor hoping to finish by 2027. WOWT reported construction would begin in 2025 and finish in early 2027.
2. April 2025: The city's groundbreaking release projected completion in "late 2026 or early 2027." KMTV reported winter 2026.
3. July 2026: KETV reported a February 2027 opening.
4. October 2026: The Fall newsletter repeated February 2027 and said the opening was "just months away."

Over almost three years, the target has stayed close to the original early-2027 plan.

The Highway Side of Town Keeps Gaining Weight

The complex isn't the only investment headed to the Highway 6/31 corridor. In the same newsletter, Mayor Mike Evans described a new interchange design for Highway 6/31 to handle rising traffic as Buc-ee's arrives. Buc-ee's recently closed on its property. The interchange is a $23 million state improvement expected to be paid for entirely with state sales tax collected at Buc-ee's. Plans are expected to be finished this winter, with groundbreaking possibly in early spring.

South of Highway 370, the newsletter lays out a run of road work the city calls some of the most significant in its history:

The newsletter's detour map for that work runs along Highway 370, Highway 50, Capehart Road, 180th Street, Fairview Road, 204th Street and Highway 6. The city says schedules may change and that details will be posted at gretnane.org as each phase gets closer.

Put together, the library, City Hall, event space, a state-funded interchange and Buc-ee's are all landing on or near one highway corridor within a couple of years. Downtown keeps its character and loses its two biggest daily reasons to visit.

What Downtown Has Going for It

Downtown starts this transition with momentum. The farmers market finished its 2026 season with 138 vendors and average weekly attendance of more than 1,500 people, according to the newsletter. That gives potential buyers of the old library and City Hall buildings a crowd that already comes downtown, which is the kind of draw Obermeyer's "halo effect" depends on.

Still open as of the Fall newsletter:

• Who the council picks for each property, and for what use
• Whether the City Hall and Old Fire Hall pair and the two library buildings go to one buyer or several
• When the downtown libraries close for the move, and how book returns work during the changeover
• What the rental rates will be for the event space and teaching kitchen

The city posts City Council agendas, including the October 20 meeting, in its Agenda Center.

If you own a home near McKenna Avenue and want to know how a sale like this affects your street, the team at Reid English Group follows these council decisions closely and can walk you through what they mean for your property. Schedule a Consultation and we'll keep you posted as the votes come in.