- A hole opened Sunday under a vacant Blackstone building and Farnam St.
- This is the third such incident in Omaha recently, after sinkholes formed in Aksarben and Downtown Omaha
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – A hole opened Sunday beneath a vacant building and Farnam St. in Blackstone, prompting questions from neighbors about the city's aging infrastructure.
Workers filled the hole, which formed under the building near 38th and Farnam, as onlookers gathered to watch.
Jon Taylor, a new Omaha resident, said he was caught off guard by the scene outside his apartment.
"I'm new into the Omaha area and just seeing this massive hole right across the street from my apartment I'm staying in," Taylor said.
Brent Schultz, a Downtown Omaha neighbor, said he was drawn in by the crowd before realizing what had happened.
"I was just like, what are they looking at? And then as I looked, I'm like, oh," Schultz said.
It is the third time in recent memory a hole has opened in the city, following similar incidents on 16th St. in Downtown in 2025 and on Pacific St. in Aksarben in February 2026.
Will Lounsberry, a Blackstone neighbor, said the pattern raises concerns.
"I think it's a sign that Omaha's infrastructure maybe needs some improvements," Lounsberry said.
Streetcar contractor Hawkins Construction said the existing underground water main that ran under the north lane of Farnam St. was capped, and a new one was installed under the center lane as part of the streetcar project.
In an email statement, Cassie Crowe with Metropolitan Utilities District said, "There have not been any reported breaks on this new main."
Omaha City Engineer Austin Rowser said multiple layers of oversight were in place during construction.
"With all those contracts, we have that oversight. We have city personnel, we have engineering consultants that are looking at it, there's testing firms that come out and test everything," Rowser said.
Rowser said the site passed testing, but acknowledged unresolved issues in the area.
"There's been some water issues, we've been chasing for a while out here. We haven't gotten to the bottom of that yet, so we have more investigation to do," Rowser said.
Rowser said he does not believe similar problems are lurking under city streets in other Omaha neighborhoods.
In the meantime, the north sidewalk of Farnam St. is partially closed, creating a detour for nearby brunch restaurant Early Bird Brucnh. Jenah Jacobson, assistant general manager, said the closure has affected foot traffic.
"It's about a 10 minute walk, I would say. So, it's been a little difficult to keep business flowing in," Jacobson said.
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