A New Library in Owasso Will Bring Books, Gathering Space, and Homes Together Under One Roof

Owasso, Oklahoma, is preparing for a bright new chapter in community life.

In October 2025, local and state leaders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the future Eddy Gibbs Library, a new Tulsa City-County Library branch that will serve the growing city of Owasso.

The project is especially meaningful for Oklahoma: It will be the first public library in state history with housing built directly above it. When finished, the building will include 59 apartment units on top of a modern library designed to welcome readers, families, students, and neighbors.

“I think it’s going to be a staple in our Redbud District,” Owasso Mayor Alvin Fruga said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The new library will be located in Owasso’s Redbud District, a lively downtown area where residents can shop, dine, and spend time at Redbud Festival Park, a public green space that hosts community events throughout the year.

A larger library for a growing community

Owasso has changed significantly since its original library opened in 1989. As the city’s population has grown, so has the need for a larger, more flexible library space.

“The city of Owasso already has one of the busiest libraries in our system,” Tulsa-City County Library CEO Kimberly Johnson told News On 6, noting that the branch welcomes more than 8,000 visitors each month.

The new Eddy Gibbs Library is planned to be twice the size of the current branch. It will offer more study areas, expanded space for children, and a convenient drive-up service window.

The building will also include 119 new parking spaces, a courtyard, an outdoor kitchen, and even a pickleball court, creating more ways for the community to gather, relax, and enjoy the space.

While construction continues, a temporary library location has opened so residents can keep using library services without interruption. The new mixed-use building is expected to be completed and open to the public in early 2027.

Part of a bigger investment in Tulsa-area libraries

The Owasso project is one piece of Tulsa City-County Library’s “My Library, OUR Future” campaign, which is focused on replacing four of the system’s most-used branches.

“These four heavily used branches had shown a severe need of replacement due to outdated infrastructure and technology, size limitations for current usage, and parking limitations,” the campaign website states.

The campaign is also expected to expand what readers can access.

“Through this campaign, TCCL’s overall collection will increase by approximately 45,000 items, representing an approximate 30-percent increase for each of these four locations.”

For the Owasso building, the library will occupy the first floor, while three floors of apartments will be built above it. To support safety and comfort, library visitors and residents will use separate entrances.

“It’s done well in other areas of the country,” Owasso Assistant City Manager JJ Dossett told News On 6. “We’re excited the Tulsa City Library is using Owasso as the first opportunity to try it here in Oklahoma.”

A creative idea gaining momentum across North America

Owasso’s new library joins a growing movement of cities reimagining public libraries as places that can meet several community needs at once.

According to the Urban Institute, at least 23 library-housing developments have been completed in the United States and Canada since 2000. Together, those projects have added nearly 1,850 apartments, many of them affordable, while also improving public infrastructure and neighborhood amenities.

These buildings show how aging libraries can be transformed into welcoming, practical spaces that support learning, connection, and housing.

One example is in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. In 2019, the Chicago Public Library system partnered with the local housing authority to create a seven-story mixed-use building on the site of a former public housing complex. The project used publicly owned land and support from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program to place 73 affordable homes above the library.

“Bringing world-class libraries together with housing builds strong neighborhoods and provides a place for all community residents to gather, share and succeed,” Rahm Emanuel, who was mayor at the time, said when the project was announced.

Owasso’s new Eddy Gibbs Library carries that same spirit: a place for books, families, neighbors, and new homes to come together in the heart of the city.