Garage Lofts

Downtown, Midtown, and all parts east of 72nd.

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Coyote
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Garage Lofts

Post by Coyote »

Garage Lofts LLC is asking for TIF money to renovate the U-Park (N 19th and Capitol garage into 32 loft style apartment units for low income housing, 9 3 bedroom units, 8 two bedroom units and 15 one bedroom units.
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iamjacobm
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Post by iamjacobm »

This would be awesome!  Loose a parking garage gain density.
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Garrett
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Post by Garrett »

Thats a parking garage? It looks pretty good for one.
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Seth
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Post by Seth »

That's a nice looking building and appears to be well-suited for an apartment conversion.  I wonder if it was built as a parking deck, or converted later?  This wasn't uncommon in the first part of the last century.  There's even a theater in Detroit that was converted into a parking garage.

It could do without the "hat" on top, though; it just screams ugly remodel.
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Post by Coyote »

It was built by Alex Beck in 1923 as the Rent a Ford company.
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Post by ShawJ »

Did this ever happen, or is it still in the works?
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Post by RNcyanide »

I'm not sure I know what building is being discussed here...
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Post by ShawJ »

RNcyanide wrote:I'm not sure I know what building is being discussed here...
http://douglascone.wgxtreme.com/java/wg ... 0307720000
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Post by RNcyanide »

ShawJ wrote:
RNcyanide wrote:I'm not sure I know what building is being discussed here...
http://douglascone.wgxtreme.com/java/wg ... 0307720000

Thanks!

Is the presence of low-income housing going to affect the development that will surely take place in the next 500 years at the Civic?
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iamjacobm
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by iamjacobm »

Looks like they rescinded their TIF request. Projects never built?
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Re: Garage Lofts

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iamjacobm wrote:Looks like they rescinded their TIF request.  Projects never built?
Rescinded? I thought I saw it on the agenda for Tuesday...
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by iamjacobm »

Coyote wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:Looks like they rescinded their TIF request.  Projects never built?
Rescinded? I thought I saw it on the agenda for Tuesday...
Missed this.

Here is how it reads:
Res. that, the Garage Lofts, LLC Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Redevelopment
Project Plan for the redevelopment area located at 202 and 216 North 19th
Street, prepared by the Omaha City Planning Department and containing a
provision for the division of ad valorem taxes under Section 18-2147 through 18-
2150, Revised Statutes of Nebraska, approved by the City Council on January
31, 2012 by Resolution No. 25, be and hereby is rescinded
I read that as they are withdrawing their request from that last line.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Coyote »

Oh, well, I guess I never read it all the way through...
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by mcarch »

To be honest, I'm glad they didn't go through with this, esp. for the possibilities the civic creates. I wouldn't want low income housing next to new buildings.
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Re: Garage Lofts

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mcarch wrote:To be honest, I'm glad they didn't go through with this, esp. for the possibilities the civic creates.  I wouldn't want low income housing next to new buildings.
I suggested that in the Civic thread. I think the city got this pulled, or someone paid them a good price to acquire this.
I really hope they stick to their long term plans and re-rout the 20th St off ramp to 17th, and reclaim those 3 blocks for the project.
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Re: Garage Lofts

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mcarch wrote:To be honest, I'm glad they didn't go through with this, esp. for the possibilities the civic creates.  I wouldn't want low income housing next to new buildings.
... Why?
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Re: Garage Lofts

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Garrett wrote:
mcarch wrote:To be honest, I'm glad they didn't go through with this, esp. for the possibilities the civic creates.  I wouldn't want low income housing next to new buildings.
... Why?
And I would ask why also. You look at Herb's vision for his TND/New Urbanism community and the whole point of this development is to make room for a diversity of people to help the system grow. You would like to have your local Barista just around the corner within walking distance of their employment. Maybe for you 'low income' has a stigma attached to it. Not everyone who works downtown has a $65,000/year job.

Perhaps we should get rid of all the 'low income' student housing at AkSarBen Village? We don't want any (Creighton) students living too close to the old Civic Center project now do we? What could they possibly bring to the local economy?
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Uffda »

Coyote wrote:
Garrett wrote:
mcarch wrote:To be honest, I'm glad they didn't go through with this, esp. for the possibilities the civic creates.  I wouldn't want low income housing next to new buildings.
... Why?
Maybe for you 'low income' has a stigma attached to it. Not everyone who works downtown has a $65,000/year job.
I must be low income. I have worked for 34 yrs have a masters and barely make mid 50s. Guess I can't live there either.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by RNcyanide »

I would love to live downtown when I graduate. 'Low income' housing would really help me meet that dream.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Linkin5 »

RNcyanide wrote:I would love to live downtown when I graduate. 'Low income' housing would really help me meet that dream.
If you graduate and are planning on working in the field you studied you are most likely not going to be eligible for low income housing.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by RNcyanide »

Linkin5 wrote:
RNcyanide wrote:I would love to live downtown when I graduate. 'Low income' housing would really help me meet that dream.
If you graduate and are planning on working in the field you studied you are most likely not going to be eligible for low income housing.
Somehow, I overlooked that. Silly me. :oops:
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Garrett »

Here are my thoughts on low income housing in downtown:

We need it. And I'm not talking about student housing either. That isn't really low income housing.

Fundamentally, this comes down to one core question: Who are we building our downtown and our city as a whole for? For West Omahans going into downtown for the day? For yuppies? For empty nesters moving from the suburbs? Omaha has done a great job at addressing these demographics... And not many other people. If we want Omaha to be a truly great city, it needs to be accessible for everyone, regardless of income, race, age or any other category we like to use.

We talk all about walkability and sustainability, but we rarely, if ever, address affordability and accessibility. What's the point of having a thriving urban core if that place is only accessible to the wealthy? Does it matter how walkable our city is if the maids that work in the Magnolia can only afford homes miles from the core? The working class is integral to the city, and they deserve the chance to live in Downtown as everyone else does. Make our downtown a reasonable place for the elderly with a fixed income. Make it reasonable for the working class. Downtown is the heart of our city, and because of that it needs to include everyone.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by RNcyanide »

Garrett wrote:Here are my thoughts on low income housing in downtown:

We need it. And I'm not talking about student housing either. That isn't really low income housing.

Fundamentally, this comes down to one core question: Who are we building our downtown and our city as a whole for? For West Omahans going into downtown for the day? For yuppies? For empty nesters moving from the suburbs? Omaha has done a great job at addressing these demographics... And not many other people. If we want Omaha to be a truly great city, it needs to be accessible for everyone, regardless of income, race, age or any other category we like to use.

We talk all about walkability and sustainability, but we rarely, if ever, address affordability and accessibility. What's the point of having a thriving urban core if that place is only accessible to the wealthy? Does it matter how walkable our city is if the maids that work in the Magnolia can only afford homes miles from the core? The working class is integral to the city, and they deserve the chance to live in Downtown as everyone else does. Make our downtown a reasonable place for the elderly with a fixed income. Make it reasonable for the working class. Downtown is the heart of our city, and because of that it needs to include everyone.
:clap:
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Omaha_Gabe »

RNcyanide wrote:
Garrett wrote:Here are my thoughts on low income housing in downtown:

We need it. And I'm not talking about student housing either. That isn't really low income housing.

Fundamentally, this comes down to one core question: Who are we building our downtown and our city as a whole for? For West Omahans going into downtown for the day? For yuppies? For empty nesters moving from the suburbs? Omaha has done a great job at addressing these demographics... And not many other people. If we want Omaha to be a truly great city, it needs to be accessible for everyone, regardless of income, race, age or any other category we like to use.

We talk all about walkability and sustainability, but we rarely, if ever, address affordability and accessibility. What's the point of having a thriving urban core if that place is only accessible to the wealthy? Does it matter how walkable our city is if the maids that work in the Magnolia can only afford homes miles from the core? The working class is integral to the city, and they deserve the chance to live in Downtown as everyone else does. Make our downtown a reasonable place for the elderly with a fixed income. Make it reasonable for the working class. Downtown is the heart of our city, and because of that it needs to include everyone.
:clap:
every downtown needs LIH. No matter what there are jobs that pay lower and having LIH assists if they don't have the employees to work we wouldn't have business coming DT their needs to be an equal balance
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by Uffda »

Garrett wrote: We talk all about walkability and sustainability, but we rarely, if ever, address affordability and accessibility. What's the point of having a thriving urban core if that place is only accessible to the wealthy?.
Very true -- i remember a few years ago in one of the threads, there was talk about new condos and they would be selling for $200,000 and up. My comment was something to the effect how would someone like me afford that - the return comment from someone was - haven't you heard of home loans?.... now at the time I had already owned 3 different homes and loans and knew what was in my range and what wasn't --- a 200,000 mortgage wasn't and isn't.

So yes you need a variety of housing costs levels if you want all levels to be able to live downtown.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by ricko »

Garrett wrote:Here are my thoughts on low income housing in downtown:

We need it. And I'm not talking about student housing either. That isn't really low income housing.

Fundamentally, this comes down to one core question: Who are we building our downtown and our city as a whole for? For West Omahans going into downtown for the day? For yuppies? For empty nesters moving from the suburbs? Omaha has done a great job at addressing these demographics... And not many other people. If we want Omaha to be a truly great city, it needs to be accessible for everyone, regardless of income, race, age or any other category we like to use.

We talk all about walkability and sustainability, but we rarely, if ever, address affordability and accessibility. What's the point of having a thriving urban core if that place is only accessible to the wealthy? Does it matter how walkable our city is if the maids that work in the Magnolia can only afford homes miles from the core? The working class is integral to the city, and they deserve the chance to live in Downtown as everyone else does. Make our downtown a reasonable place for the elderly with a fixed income. Make it reasonable for the working class. Downtown is the heart of our city, and because of that it needs to include everyone.
You nailed it, Garrett. There is nothing more boring than a neighborhood of 'same-ness'. My job puts me in touch with a variety of people from all income groups, but I live in the 2nd wealthiest county in the U.S. (by median household income), next to me is the wealthiest. There is nothing more boring/dull than listening to people who've never had to struggle for anything, or want for anything----ever, prattle on about their "problems". You just want to smack them. Whenever I visit Omaha, I worry that, for all of downtown's recent success and vibrancy, it may become too expensive for the people who actually make it an interesting place (artist, actors, writers, musicians, and the rest of the bohemian/alternative crowd that created the Old Market in the first place). This has already happened in Manhattan in NYC, Northwest D.C., and to a lesser extent in San Francisco. A city full of hedge fund managers, private-equity partners, arbitrage cowboys, over-paid consultants and lobbyists, and the idle-rich international set doesn't exactly make for an interesting community. NYC is becoming f…..g boring. You need a mix of people to make any community livable.
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Re: Garage Lofts

Post by iamjacobm »

NuStyle bought this building and the parking lot next to it in 2014.
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