In October 2025, Oklahoma’s elected officials gathered to break ground on a new Tulsa City-County Library branch in the city of Owasso.
The new Eddy Gibbs Library would be twice as big as the original branch, adding more study spaces, more room for kids to play, and a drive-up service window.
It will also have 119 new parking spots, a courtyard, an outdoor kitchen, and a pickleball court.
That’s because, for the first time in state history, housing units would be built directly above a public library. 59 of them, in fact.
The library will be at the heart of the city’s Redbud District, a downtown area where locals can eat, shop, and visit Redbud Festival Park, a public green space that hosts numerous events throughout the year.
“I think it’s going to be a staple in our Redbud District,” Owasso Mayor Alvin Fruga said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
After the original library was built in 1989, Owasso's population grew considerably.
“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, adding that the branch has more than 8,000 monthly visitors.
The new mixed-use building is projected to be completed and open to the public in early 2027. While construction is underway, a temporary library location has opened to continue serving the public.
The project is part of the Tulsa City-County Library’s “My Library, OUR Future” campaign to replace four of its 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“These four heavily used branches had shown a severe need of replacement due to outdated infrastructure and technology, size limitations for current usage, and parking limitations,” reads a statement on the campaign’s website.
“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.”
The library will be on the first level, topped by three floors of apartment units. For the community’s safety, there will be separate entries for library patrons and residents.
“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.”
Across the US and Canada, more than 20 libraries have been integrated into apartment complexes
Redesigning aging public libraries helps cities tackle two major challenges at once: housing shortages and outdated public infrastructure.
According to the Urban Institute, at least 23 combined library-housing developments have been completed in the U.S. and Canada since 2000. These mixed-use projects have created nearly 1,850 apartments, many of them affordable housing units, and also strengthened neighborhoods by adding amenities like daycares and community centers.
In 2019, the Chicago Public Library system partnered with the local housing authority to develop a seven-story mixed-use building on the site of a former public housing complex in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood.
By using publicly owned land and funding through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, the library was able to add 73 affordable housing units above its service floor.
“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 served as mayor in 2019, said in a statement when the project went public.
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Header image via Tulsa City-County Library
