OMAHA, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – A nearly $28 million apartment building is to be the culmination, literally, of a trendy residential pocket that for about seven years has been transforming an area on the west end of the center -city of Omaha.
The new structure, to be called The Howard, will rise six stories high and contain 120 market-priced units, as well as 132 indoor parking spaces and a workout room.
It is to operate at 2323 Howard St. as an extension of Flats on Howard, a neighborhood redevelopment effort that began around 2015 in a crumbling former mansion neighborhood.
Developers Arch Icon and NuStyle, both based in Woodbine, Iowa, are driving the district’s overall revival that will now include nearly an acre of land that has long been home to the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition and its health services. processing.
Expands the Flats community
With this land being absorbed into the surrounding Flats community for The Howard Apartments, the millennial and student-friendly redevelopment will occupy nearly all of the area bounded by 22nd and 24th Streets, Dewey Avenue and Landon Court.
And the number of apartment units increases to 300 – ranging from new and renovated micro apartments to larger, renovated townhouses with welcoming porches. (A resident got millions of views on her series of ICT Tac videos featuring his less than 400 square foot unit.)
“The Flats has always been a big improvement for the area, and the mid-priced units are a hit,” NuStyle’s Todd Heistand said of the accommodations also popular with students at nearby Creighton University.
Construction of the new Howard Building, which initially involves the demolition of the aging Urban Indian Headquarters complex, is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed next summer.
NuStyle, which will manage and own the new property, is seeking approval from the City of Omaha for $3.28 million in tax-increased public funding, an amount that does not include accrued interest.
Land exchange
Under the TIF program established by the Legislative Assembly, intended to stimulate economic development in degraded areas, property tax revenue generated from new development is redirected to pay the applicant’s TIF loan and interest for a period 15 to 20 years old. Typically, these property taxes are paid to public schools and municipalities.
In the case of The Howard apartments, the planning department gave a preliminary thumbs up, saying the initiative bolsters the city’s efforts to create “healthy and diverse” neighborhoods and reverse “the deterioration of older neighborhoods.” downtown”.
The project also paved the way for an improved campus for the Urban Indian Coalition in another part of town.
Under an ownership swap agreement, the coalition’s programs will move to a facility owned by Arch Icon in South Omaha, a former Eagles Club located at 22nd and N Streets.
This brick building is being renovated, thanks to a nearly $9 million fundraising campaign, for urban Indian offices and services, including a residential wing for people with behavioral challenges. Also on site will be a seniors program called Tired Moccasins, youth and computer technology programs, a small health clinic and more.
Eagles Club
Arch Icon also helped the coalition build an affordable apartment complex just west of this rehabilitated Eagles Club, called Eagle Heights.
Health Coalition CEO Donna Polk said the nonprofit’s move to South Omaha should take place by June. She said it will offer twice as much space and seem better suited because the downtown area has changed to the point that the coalition felt like the “outsider” there.
Rents at The Howard range from around $1,100 for one-bedroom units to $2,000 for three-bedroom units.
Planners say the project continues the quest for infill development along the 24th Street corridor.
The amenities of the new structure, including an exercise facility, will benefit the larger Flats community, which is near the downtown YMCA and Omaha Children’s Museum. The development is just blocks from Creighton University, the Old Market and the downtown business district.
The Flats neighborhood emerged from a much smaller vision years ago. Around 2013, Arch Icon had only acquired a few properties for renovation near 22nd and Howard Streets, but soon realized that success in the wider area, which was plagued by crime and code violations building, required a larger solution.
Mansions, cafes
NuStylewhich belongs to the parents of one of the Ark icon founders, eventually joined the effort and now manages the apartments, which encompass the Howard Street Apartment District which since 1996 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Most of the buildings in the historic district, according to the register, were second- and third-generation structures that replaced the original single-family homes and large mansions.
Working with Alley, Poyner Macchietto Architecture, many historic features have been preserved, including private balconies, hardwood and terrazzo floors, and exterior terracotta.
Amenities include a lighted hallway, pet wash station, cafes, classes, bike storage and repair station, and community lounges with washers and dryers. The apartments website calls the area a “trendy collection of historic and renovated properties” that offers varied amenities and social hubs.
“We are thrilled to have a new building in the neighborhood,” said Arch Icon’s Mindy Crook. “It’s great to add more foot traffic to the neighborhood and more units downtown, which is needed.”
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news outlets supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact editor Cate Folsom with questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow the Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.
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