Omaha Daily Local Brief: Sewer contract dispute, streetcar milestone, storms, and a big library move

City Hall: $411M wastewater expansion faces fresh pushback

Omaha City Council members are headed toward a March 10 vote tied to a $411 million plan to expand the Papillion Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. A local contractor has asked the city to pause and rebid the work, arguing the current price is inflated and that a competitive process could lower costs.

City officials have defended the contracting approach, saying the project is complex and that bringing a builder in during the design phase can reduce risk and surprises once construction starts. The facility has not seen a major upgrade in decades, putting this project among the city’s biggest infrastructure decisions this year.

Downtown streetcar: steel arrives, track work nears

Large steel beams for the streetcar project have arrived at a staging site near 10th and Farnam. City engineers say crews are expected to weld the beams into long lengths of rail next week, with track-laying planned to begin in April.

A second staging area is also planned along Farnam in the Blackstone area. The full streetcar buildout is still projected for completion in 2028, but this week’s delivery is one of the first highly visible signs that track work is close.

Weather watch: storms tonight, severe risk Friday afternoon

Forecasters are tracking scattered thunderstorms late tonight into early Friday, followed by another round Friday afternoon. The strongest storms Friday could bring large hail, damaging winds, and brief, fast-forming tornadoes before the threat tapers off Friday evening.

Rain totals around a quarter to a half inch are possible by Friday night, and colder air could briefly mix in some wet snow farther west. The weekend is expected to turn drier with more sunshine.

Library transition: Central Library move set for April 19

The Omaha Public Library says the system’s move into the new Central Library at 72nd and Dodge is scheduled for April 19. As part of the transition, the Genealogy and Local History Room at the 84th Street location closed March 1 so materials can be packed and relocated.

Library staff say online databases remain available during the transition, and some in-person programs are shifting temporarily to other branches while the move is underway.

Looking ahead: St. Patrick’s Day parade route changes downtown

Organizers say the St. Patrick’s Day parade is set for March 14 at 11 a.m., with a new route that starts near 16th and Capitol, heads along Capitol, then turns north on 12th before finishing near Mike Fahey Street. A handful of related events are also scheduled across the metro in the days around the parade.

Sources

https://www.wowt.com/2026/03/04/omaha-contractor-challenges-411m-wastewater-contract-ahead-council-vote/
https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-city-council-construction-company-at-odds/70612066
https://www.3newsnow.com/central-omaha/steel-beams-arrive-in-downtown-omaha-marking-major-milestone-for-streetcar-project
https://www.3newsnow.com/weather/tracking-storms-and-severe-weather-tonight-late-friday-afternoon
https://www.ketv.com/article/the-omaha-public-library-prepares-for-its-big-move/70610900
https://www.ketv.com/article/ketvs-guide-to-st-patricks-day-events/70317118