A major mixed-use development project in Omaha's Little Bohemia neighborhood advanced despite pushback from some residents worried about parking shortages and changes to their community's character.
The "Little Bo" project, proposed by Clarity Development, plans to rehabilitate historic buildings and create more than 150 new apartments and commercial space in downtown Omaha's corridor between 12th and 14th streets and William Street.
"To me it's putting the cart before the horse without any planning, and it creates a hardship for the existing businesses, even the new ones that he will be renting to," one resident said.
Tom McLeay, President of Clarity Development, said the project could reverse decades of decline in the area.
"There was a real exodus to the exterior suburbs, which led to that kind of great disinvestment. This project, I believe, has that opportunity to finally change that course and that trajectory of Little Bohemia," McLeay said.
Dave Hempel, who has operated his business in the neighborhood for 50 years, raised concerns at Tuesday's city council meeting about parking availability.
"It's been proven in Blackstone. Blackstone has built 2 or 3 parking lots," Hempel said.
He said parking near his business is already at capacity and wants the city to conduct a parking study before approving the development.
"I'm seeing the residential folks suffering the most, older folks that have been down there for generations. They're not being able to park in front of their businesses and there's an infiltration of new people which we welcome, but we're just not finding the parking spaces that we need in the residential areas," Hempel said.
McLeay dismissed parking concerns as merely a "perception" and argued that efficient parking means one spot can be used multiple times throughout the day rather than building excessive concrete for single-use spaces.
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