OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — We've been talking about this house in Walnut Hill. It's caught fire twice in the last six months. Now just a shell of itself — like other properties across Omaha. Neighbors want to see it gone. But when it comes to demolition, to some degree, the city's hands are tied.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Three neighborhoods, three similar stories.
"This here is just an eyesore and it's dangerous," said Derek Goodwin, who has lived near 48th and Sahler Streets for over 50 years.
"This is such an eyesore, and you're concerned who is going to get hurt in that house," said Kristine Bockerman.
"The building has simply been an eyesore for the last 14 years," said Joe Wolf, an audio engineer, whose shop has been down the road from the Westmont Inn & Suites for over 10 years.
An apartment in North Omaha, a house in Central Omaha, and a hotel in Southwest Omaha: abandoned, not secured, but still standing.
"Just about people going in there and then the building falling on top of them. I mean, that's the thing that we are most concerned about," Bockerman said.
Here's how the city explains it to us. There are several challenges when it comes to demolition. Two big ones: the cost and private ownership.
"We are kind of in an unfortunate holding pattern until we can determine if we can afford to demolish it or not," said Scott Lane, chief housing inspector for the City of Omaha, when talking about the North Omaha apartment complex in March.
Securing these properties is also a concern for neighbors. The city told Molly Friday it "orders the owner to secure the building since it is their responsibility to maintain their private property."
But neighbors share the same hope — they want to see these properties gone.
"I would rather it be a pile of rubble than what I'm looking at each day," said Ryan Gradoville, a neighbor of the Westmont Inn & Suites.
If you have a property in your neighborhood that is raising concerns, we want to hear from you. Email Molly at molly.hudson@3newsnow.com.
