For years, the once-grand apartment building on North 16th Street in Omaha was the kind of place that looked like it had been forgotten.
Built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the dark brick building known as the Margaret had fallen into disrepair by the time it entered its ninth decade. After being abandoned by its last owner, it became a popular spot for squatters, including many who left behind trash and damage from fires they set in an attempt to keep warm. At some point, part of the roof caved in.
Drive by now, though, and it's clear the Margaret is getting a second chance — and in some unexpected ways.
As contractors work to restore the historic character of the apartments —16 units that will be available for low- to moderate-income residents — they're also adding new features, including a geothermal heating system and energy-generating solar panels.
It's one of at least two new projects in north Omaha that are balancing affordability with green-friendly features that will help keep residents' energy costs down and leave behind a smaller footprint on the environment.
About two miles north, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha recently completed a house it hopes soon will be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program, which would be a first for the group. From low-flow toilets to deeper walls that allow added insulation, the house at 22nd Street and Fowler Avenue is designed to be green.
Habitat's Dan Brewer said more chapters are starting to change the way they build. “It's not only because it's the right thing to do environmentally, but because it also provides, we think, a better quality home for the homeowners.”
Going green wasn't always the goal at the Margaret.
When the north Omaha-based nonprofit Omaha Economic Development Corp. bought the building in 2006, the group's leaders planned a standard renovation.
But the group's president, Michael Maroney, said incorporating some alternative energy technology started to seem like a good idea — even though the upfront cost would be a bit higher. The organization enlisted the help of the Geothermal Green Team, a Gretna-based company that specializes in ground-source heat pumps.
Outside the Margaret, crews are digging a series of 155-foot-deep holes that will be used to allow heat from the ground to help heat and cool apartments in the building. The company has installed similar systems in several other locations, including at Boys Town and the governor's mansion in Des Moines.
Co-owner Tyler Volk said a geothermal system usually costs about 40 percent more than a standard heat pump system, but a 30 percent tax credit helps reduce the gap. On new construction, the savings in energy costs usually can be recouped in about a year. It's a bit longer on a retrofit.
He said prices can range from about $15,000 for a small house to upward of $40,000 for a custom house or larger building.
Maroney declined to share an estimate of the total cost of work at the Margaret, which is set to be completed in September and has been financed with funding from several sources, including the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Estimates are that the extra investment in the geothermal and solar systems will pay off in about 20 years.
But the savings for the building's tenants — energy bills that will come in about 60 percent lower than they would have after a standard renovation — will be immediate.
He said that benefit is enough to get his group thinking about changing the way it handles all of its affordable housing projects. “They might not all have geothermal, but they'll be as green as we can make them.”
On Fowler Avenue, the five-bedroom, 1,921-square-foot house looks similar to other Habitat homes and contains many features that have become standard for the organization, including Energy Star-rated appliances.
But it's also got plenty of special features, from a tankless water heater that heats water only when its needed to cement fiberboard siding on the house's exterior, instead of Habitat-standard vinyl.
But Kim Sosalla-Bahr, who worked on the house as an architect and sustainable design project manager with HDR Architecture, said the cost difference is minimal. A typical Habitat house costs $118,000 to $120,000 to build. The house on Fowler cost about $122,000.
Habitat projects get a boost from volunteer builders — and in this case, a partnership with young volunteers involved with YouthBuild Omaha, a Goodwill Industries program for teens and young adults who want to learn construction skills and work on their GEDs.
But Sosalla-Bahr said the tools for keeping costs low, even when building green, are available for just about every project. Some of the materials in the house, including tile that was purposely used in place of vinyl flooring, was purchased from Habitat's ReStore, which sells used and donated building materials.
Brewer said the success of the project has Habitat for Humanity of Omaha making plans for other LEED houses.
On a tour of the Margaret on Thursday, Marie Johns, deputy administration of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said green-focused businesses like the Geothermal Green Team are picking up steam and making a difference by partnering with other groups.
She said pairing clean energy technology with affordable housing is particularly worthwhile. “It's good for the environment, it's good for the economy, it's good for the neighborhood. So truly, I hope this will be a model for others in the community.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1543, erin.golden@owh.com
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