It is named after Omar Blair, 84, the first black president of the Denver Public School's board of education, who served in that role from 1972 to 1984; and Elvin Caldwell, 83, who was the first black Denver City Council member. Caldwell served from 1955 to 1980.

This will be the only library of its kind between Detroit and Oakland and only the fourth in the nation.It will focus on the history, literature, art, music, religion and politics of African-American people in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

The three-story building at 2401 Welton St. will open on April 26. It will cost about $600,000 to operate e annually. Certificates of Participation fund it, or COPs, which are backed by the city's lease agreements with the Denver Capital Leasing Corp. Such lease-to-purchase agreements are commonly used to fund large government municipal projects. Denver Capital Leasing is the financier and owner.

It will include a full-service branch library, an archives and research library , a 100-seat meeting room, and a total of 12,800 sf of gallery and exhibition space. It also will have a coffee bar and parking for 65 cars.

Oz Architecture and Harold Massop Associates Architects PC designed it.The general contractor is a joint venture of Turner Construction Co. and J.A. Walker Construction Co.