The Omaha city council approved the Olde Towne Elkhorn business improvement district by a 6-0 vote.
Business owners in the district are rejoicing in downtown Elkhorn.
“So excited that it passed today,” said Kelli Fuglsang, owner of This & That & Other Stuff.
Fuglsang is thrilled-the area outside her shop will get some renovations, “We have no handicap parking down here so I know it will help with that, the curbs are not acceptable to anybody who has any kind of disability or has a hard time getting around.”
The BID will add better lighting and fix cracked sidewalks plaguing the downtown area like right outside Kimba's Touch Pottery.
“I don't know how many times I’ve tripped on these sidewalks and people have tripped, I’ve taken washcloths out to them, they've had bloody arms and so the tripping on the sidewalks have been an issue,” said Kimba Hawks, owner of Kimba’s Touch Pottery.
The project will also add parking areas along the corridor which those who live nearby appreciate.
“People parking on our street so it should alleviate some of that which is nice,” said Elkhorn resident Mike Stone.
The previous version of the business improvement district had an initial assessment of $43,500 dollars in the first year for businesses and homes in the district. But now that's decreased to just $12,000 for the first year with an annual increase of 4-percent per year for 5 years.
Businesses owners said they don’t mind paying to help beautify the area.
“What you give, you're going to get back-I mean it's an investment,” said Hawks.
“Anytime you have to pay extra money it's burdensome but in the long run it should benefit all of the businesses,” said Fuglsang.
The boundaries of the district include the corner of Glenn Street and N. 205th Street and proceeding south to Corby Street and then east to 204th and then south along 204th Street to Park Road then west 207th Street extended and then proceed north to Elkhorn Drive and then west to Glenn Street and then proceeding east to the corner of 205th Street and Glenn Street.