Slbg91 wrote:Yikes! When you look at the negative comments from back in 2014 on this thread, you would think that the only way to revitalize a poor neighborhood is to just fill it in with 'better people' and forget those that are displaced. The CEO of this project taught my business law class at MCC and I also know his wife who teaches there as well. They used to live in Atlanta and moved back here because this is his hometown. He is bringing ideas that worked in other cities to this concept that is new to Omaha. No, this is not a housing project, it is a community revitalization project.Joe_Sovereign wrote:I hope this never gets built.
The last thing any low income family needs is to move into a pack of 200 low income units in a high crime neighborhood with terrible schools. Good luck for any kid who is going to grow up in this shiny and new sh*thole. Any low income housing should be single individual homes in other parts of the city and state. Areas that have better schools and better employment opportunities.
This area should be a gated community with as high of end condos as they can sell. If you want to help the neighborhood subsidies getting young professionals or empty nesters to move in. Get anyone you can into the neighborhood that is going to pay their taxes, spend a lot of money in the neighborhood and not commit crimes.
We moved to Bemis Park 11 years ago from Tampa because this is my home state. A person's perspective of what constitutes a nice neighborhood is relative. We rented a house in Tampa that had a boat dock in the backyard on the Hillsborough River. This was considered a nice neighborhood yet only 4 blocks away, hookers stood on Nebraska Ave. at night. Comparitavily, Bemis Park was a cakewalk compared to where we came from!
We bought a house at the same time Mutual of Omaha was creating Midtown Crossing because we saw the potential. In 11 years our house is worth 3 times what we paid for it with just simple remodeling. In our area, the 'hood' starts north of Hamilton and as more people from bigger cities move into our neighborhood, the older homeowners are seeing the benefits of the new life being brought in. It's not so much gentrification as it is revitalization of the neighborhood. 75 North is just a few blocks from us and with the city holding slumlords responsible by condemning properties and new affordable houses being built, there is a sense of pride in the neighborhood that wasn't there 11 years ago.
Bemis Park was a flashpoint of racial tension in the 60's. The integration of Bemis Park played a large part in the westward expansion of the city. "A Time for Burning", is a documentary that centered around Bemis Park and the beginnings of Ernie Chambers career. It is available at the library and puts a perspective of how North Omaha needs revitalization in the first place.
I would consider living in a nice home in Tampa with my own boat dock on the Hillsborough River a DREAM COME TRUE. I would consider having to live in the Bemis Park area a NIGHTMARE.
P.S- Hamilton does not start becoming safe until you get West of 50th & Hamilton. All you got to do is go East of 50th & Hamilton a block or so and it gets gnarly as all get out.