An abandoned hotel in southwest Omaha has frustrated neighbors for years as they wait for demolition, which they call a neighborhood eyesore.
Watch Hannah's story:
The building, located near 108th and L street, sits empty with broken windows and graffiti covering its exterior. Neighbors say trespassers regularly break into the property, creating ongoing safety concerns.
"I would say maybe 2 to 3 times a week I hear the glass breaking or I see a car pull up and some kids kind of yelling," said Alexis Knust, who lives in an apartment complex next door.
When Knust moved into her apartment three years ago, her landlord told her the hotel would be torn down. The building remains standing today.
Knust's patio overlooks the hotel, giving her a direct view of obscenities painted on the exterior and broken windows that trespassers use to access the building.
Her neighbor Eddie Mayberry said the abandoned property makes him lose pride in where he lives.
"I hate to sit out on my patio, and then I have to actually look over here or have my guests look over there, and you know, it's just an eyesore period, you know, so, yes, I would love for it to be gone," Mayberry said.
The city issued an active demolition order for the building over the summer, but tearing it down would cost half of the city's entire demolition budget.
The planning department recently approved the building owners' request to rezone the site for commercial use. The property is owned by Newport Blue Impact, a California-based company licensed in Delaware.
Attempts to contact Newport Blue Impact through their business license phone number were unsuccessful.
"My family is kind of concerned when they see I live next to a building that looks like this," Knust said.
Since the rezoning was approved by city planning, the request could reach city council within weeks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
