Trendy and colorful town houses have sprouted along the North 24th Street business district, bringing a new look and use to the historic strip.
Each of the 10 three-story homes features a ground-level space where buyers can set up an office or retail outlet.
A two-car garage is attached to the back of the work space. Upstairs are three bedrooms, as well as dining and living areas.
Such mixed uses led to the name of the $2 million project: Long School live-and-work town homes.
“One of the things we wanted to do is create some life on the street,” said James Thele of the City Planning Department.
He called it an urban living concept that dates back to older times, when the neighborhood grocer, hairdresser and doctor lived above their stores. The foot traffic stimulates economic growth in the overall area.
Three partners in the Long School town house venture — the City of Omaha, NeighborWorks Omaha and the North Omaha Development Project, which is an effort of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce — have scheduled a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony today at the model town house, 2026 N. 24th St.
Ed Cochran of the North Omaha Development Project said the row of 1,600-square-foot town houses is a visible example of the investment that organizations like his are pushing in north Omaha.
The town houses may be in an impoverished area, but Cochran is counting on their appeal to economic development “pioneers” who believe in the value of being close to downtown, Creighton University and Eppley Airfield.
“People have to have a vision of what an area has the potential to be,” said Cochran. “If you are one of the pioneers, you reap benefits such as gaining access to property at below market rates.”
Many have stopped in, but no buyers have come forward yet, said Felecia Howard of NeighborWorks Omaha, formerly known as New Community Development Corp.
She said it is not mandatory that a buyer have a business outlet in the town house.
The units are intended for low-to-moderate income buyers. Each lists for $168,000, but the city is offering deferred-payment loans of up to $60,000 to defray costs.
Other examples of live-and-work spaces in Omaha include the Saddle Creek Records complex near 13th and Webster Streets, which has among its tenants a graphic artist, skateboard shop owner and clothing retailer, and shop owners in the Old Market.
Thele expects the Long School town homes to bring more stability to the neighborhood.
A second phase of town houses is expected to be developed later, Howard said.
The public is invited to tour the model unit Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact the writer:
444-1224, cindy.gonzalez@owh.com
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