OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Omaha nonprofit providing substance abuse treatment and other services is working with real estate developers to build apartments and turn a vacant building into an expanded center.
The Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition and Arch Icon Development propose to create a new campus for the coalition at the former home of the South Omaha Eagles Club, the Omaha World-Herald reported .
Developers would erect a building with more than 40 apartments on what are currently parking lots. Then they would renovate the vacant club and its banquet hall, making space for social services including residential addiction treatment, plus offices and cultural events.
The apartments, called Eagle Heights, are expected to cost about $7.8 million. Financing would involve several sources, including low-income housing tax credits. The club renovation would require donations, and fundraising hasn’t begun yet.
Nothing will likely be built before 2019, said Darin Smith, and Arch Icon principal.
The Omaha City Planning Board voted recently to recommend that the City Council approve the Eagle Heights redevelopment plan. That would allow up to $310,000 in tax-increment financing. The financing mechanism allows developers to use part of a project’s future property taxes to pay for upfront costs.
The redevelopment plan and tax increment financing proposal will likely go before the council in a few weeks.
The coalition is planning to move to the South Omaha site so it can expand its services and help more people, said Donna Polk-Primm, CEO of the coalition.
“It would double our space to help us serve our community better,” she said.
The coalition primarily serves urban Native Americans and the Alaska Native populations. Some services are reserved for those groups because of funding sources. But City Planning Board said the apartments would be open to any qualifying applicants, and many services are available to everyone.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
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