OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For over a year and a half, neighbors here in east Omaha have been concerned about the future of their homes after a business park was proposed for the area. Now, many neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief, learning they'll get to stay after a shift in the project plan.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Omaha Economic Development Corporation (OEDC) announced over the weekend that it's moving on from this neighborhood after months of talking with homeowners about their interest in selling or not.
"We were unable to assemble enough continuous property in the area, so we decided to respect the wishes of the overall area and move on to something else," said Michael Maroney, president of OEDC.
Since the project was announced in January of 2024, neighbors have been waiting for answers, holding off on house projects, and some even looking around for other homes.
"We are definitely breathing a sigh of relief," said Aaron French, manager of urban farm initiative at City Sprouts.
City Sprouts also calls this neighborhood home and is grateful they'll get to keep calling it home.
"It's allowing us to keep growing tens of thousands of pounds of produce to send out to folks who need it in Omaha and to really begin to finally really be able to put some actual physical roots down," French said.
While many feel at ease with the news, grateful they get to stay home, others told me off camera they were on board with the project and already bought a new house.
But Michael Maroney with the OEDC says it was time to move on to other options.
"We are in discussion on one piece of ground, but that's just in negotiations right now; but we are also looking at several other potential options," Maroney said.
Some neighbors are still worried about eminent domain. Maroney says there is zero chance of that happening because they don't have that authority.
Molly: "You won't go back and look at this neighborhood again for this specific project?"
Maroney: "Because of the time frame of these dollars, we probably would not be looking at that particular area, certainly not in terms of any involuntary acquisition."
He says the focus now shifts to vacant land and abandoned sites to move this project forward.
OEDC is hosting a community vision meeting on Tuesday, October 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Venue at Highlander.
