- Omaha rescinded a $125 inspection bill after sending the building's owner a property violation notice
- The building owner's attorney is meeting with city attorneys
- Cause of the void that formed near 38th and Farnam in June is still unknown
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – A dispute between the owner of the building that used to host Brothers Lounge and the city of Omaha has grown in recent weeks over a hole that formed beneath the building and parts of Farnam Street where Omaha Streetcar construction was taking place in Blackstone.
Trey Lalley, the owner of that building in Blackstone, has stated publicly that the foundation and sidewalk were in good condition before streetcar construction began in the area.
Lalley was sent a property violation notice citing a "collapsed foundation wall" and posted on Facebook that he had received a $125 inspection bill from the city. He told 3 News Now's Blackstone Neighborhood Reporter Jeremy Fredricks on Thursday the bill was rescinded — something Mayor John Ewing's spokesperson confirmed.
Lalley's attorney is now meeting with city attorneys.
That development came one day after the city held a press conference explaining its position: that staff is working to find a solution so construction can continue.
"We want to bring this problem to a resolution as soon as we can. We've had talks with owners' representatives about that," Omaha Streetcar Interim Director Steve Jensen said.
Streetcar construction in this stretch of Blackstone has not taken place since the void formed about six weeks ago.
"We had paused construction temporarily to do investigative work, we are removing the major activities where we're digging down and leaving excavations open," streetcar project manager Mike True said.
For residents of the Colonial Hotel Apartments, located directly next to Lalley's building, the situation has become a source of daily concern.
"There's a hole 6 feet away that's just sitting there and it seems like every day it may or may not get bigger. We've had rain recently, you know, it's flooding and whatnot. It's more so I feel safe when it's dealt with," Blackstone neighbor Nathan Phipps said.
Jensen said the cause of the hole has not yet been determined.
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