Omaha Forums

On the south side of 93rd and West Dodge Road, there is a gated brick mansion, with what looks like a large addition that has a cross on it. For as long as I can remember, the gates have always been shut, and at one point, there looks like there was a sign near the entry gates that has been replaced with a piece of lumber. I can't recall having seen any cars in there or any indication that people are there.

Does anyone know what the background on this place is?

If this thread exists, feel free to merge or modify.

The lumber has been hiding the sign since they built it.

CULLAN MARY F
ETAL
CULLAN KIDS FOUNDATION
9955 BLOOMFIELD DR
OMAHA NE 68114-0000

Brad wrote:The lumber has been hiding the sign since they built it.

I don't think I've ever seen the sign before they covered it.

RNcyanide wrote:I don't think I've ever seen the sign before they covered it.

I am not sure anyone has. I remember them building the gate and sign and I remember the lumber being there since then. The aerial photo make sit look abandoned.

Brad wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:I don't think I've ever seen the sign before they covered it.

I am not sure anyone has.  I remember them building the gate and sign and I remember the lumber being there since then.  The aerial photo make sit look abandoned.

Oh wow. I thought it was just one of those things that changed recently before I really paid attention to stuff like that.

Wasn't that the Unity Church for years...

This was an actual church at one time. A non denominational one. A friend of mine was married here back in the early 1990's but I'm pretty sure it's been closed up for at lest 15-20 years.

Chiweekend wrote:This was an actual church at one time. A non denominational one. A friend of mine was married here back in the early 1990's but I'm pretty sure it's been closed up for at lest 15-20 years.

Do you have any idea what happened to it?

I worked across the street from that place back in 2004. It was boarded up and abandoned even back then. So, at absolute minimum 12 years. I always had the same questions about the site because I could see it from my desk window.

Interesting. I'm always fascinated by abandoned buildings right in the middle of the city.

Googling the address and church, I get "Unity Church" in several results.

I so love a good mystery.

Built as a church in 1941 Assessors condition report says “worn out”
10 rooms, 4.5 baths, over 3,000 sf on the main level
Last sold in March of 2000 for $1,200,000
Taxes go to Cullan Kids Foundation
All of the Foundation company contacts are Cullan’s
The Foundations Directors appear to be (good looking) Personal Injury Lawyers who are also brothers. (as was their father). Their offices are at 1113 Harney St http://www.cullanlaw.com/

vvindows10 wrote:I so love a good mystery.

Built as a church in 1941 Assessors condition report says “worn out”
10 rooms, 4.5 baths, over 3,000 sf on the main level
Last sold in March of 2000 for $1,200,000
Taxes go to Cullan Kids Foundation
All of the Foundation company contacts are Cullan’s
The Foundations Directors appear to be (good looking) Personal Injury Lawyers who are also brothers. (as was their father). Their offices are at 1113 Harney St http://www.cullanlaw.com/

does this mean they are still in some tax exempt status as a church and using it as a write off for the owners children? Am I understanding this right?

omaha79 wrote:does this mean they are still in some tax exempt status as a church and using it as a write off for the owners children? Am I understanding this right?

They paid $12,246.64 in taxes in 2015. Looks like they have paid taxes every years since 2010.

interesting that google maps still identifies this as Unity Dr.

also interesting that it's never been sold. One would think that would be prime real estate for a mansion. I doubt it could ever be zoned anything but residential.

vvindows10 wrote:I so love a good mystery.

Built as a church in 1941 Assessors condition report says “worn out”
10 rooms, 4.5 baths, over 3,000 sf on the main level
Last sold in March of 2000 for $1,200,000
Taxes go to Cullan Kids Foundation
All of the Foundation company contacts are Cullan’s
The Foundations Directors appear to be (good looking) Personal Injury Lawyers who are also brothers. (as was their father). Their offices are at 1113 Harney St http://www.cullanlaw.com/

how did you find this information??? a friend and i are working on a documentary about abandoned buildings and would like to get in contact with the owners about shooting there

the_night_shift wrote:how did you find this information??? a friend and i are working on a documentary about abandoned buildings and would like to get in contact with the owners about shooting there

Boy, the valuation on that property sure went up. I wonder what's pushing that?

omaha79 wrote:Boy, the valuation on that property sure went up. I wonder what's pushing that?

Everything in that whole area went up. There has been lots of media coverage on it. They tripped the price of our lot...

Brad wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Boy, the valuation on that property sure went up. I wonder what's pushing that?

Everything in that whole area went up. There has been lots of media coverage on it. They tripped the price of our lot...

In my area, they used the wrong data and my appraisal dropped from $210K to $154K (about the same as last year). I would recheck your appraisal today as the lots in Deerridge (120th and Pacific) all went crazy then have all gone back to reasonably normal.

bigredmed wrote:

Brad wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Boy, the valuation on that property sure went up. I wonder what's pushing that?

Everything in that whole area went up. There has been lots of media coverage on it. They tripped the price of our lot...

In my area, they used the wrong data and my appraisal dropped from $210K to $154K (about the same as last year). I would recheck your appraisal today as the lots in Deerridge (120th and Pacific) all went crazy then have all gone back to reasonably normal.

Nope, the land value is still way up:

Brad wrote:

bigredmed wrote:

Brad wrote:

omaha79 wrote:Boy, the valuation on that property sure went up. I wonder what's pushing that?

Everything in that whole area went up. There has been lots of media coverage on it. They tripped the price of our lot...

In my area, they used the wrong data and my appraisal dropped from $210K to $154K (about the same as last year). I would recheck your appraisal today as the lots in Deerridge (120th and Pacific) all went crazy then have all gone back to reasonably normal.

Nope, the land value is still way up:

taxes.JPG

I would contact the assessor.

Story about this in Today’s OWH. Sold to Lockwood.

Brad wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:45 am Story about this in Today’s OWH. Sold to Lockwood.

I read that article but the address was 9955 bloomfield drive - which put it in the neighborhood to the north of Westroads Mall. Although Mary Cullen seems to be on each address.

Uffda wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:47 pm

Brad wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:45 am Story about this in Today’s OWH. Sold to Lockwood.

I read that article but the address was 9955 bloomfield drive - which put it in the neighborhood to the north of Westroads Mall. Although Mary Cullen seems to be on each address.

Interesting. I just saw the same and assumed it was the same house...

Two different properties.

This is the best investigation of the former Unity Church property that I've found online. For anyone that's been following this thread, this is a must read...

https://myomahaobsession.com/2018/12/10 ... odge-road/

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:36 am This is the best investigation of the former Unity Church property that I've found online. For anyone that's been following this thread, this is a must read...

https://myomahaobsession.com/2018/12/10 ... odge-road/

Man, I've read a few of her short stories on old houses in Omaha and the like. Pretty fascinating stuff.

Louie wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:34 am

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:36 am This is the best investigation of the former Unity Church property that I've found online. For anyone that's been following this thread, this is a must read...

https://myomahaobsession.com/2018/12/10 ... odge-road/

Man, I've read a few of her short stories on old houses in Omaha and the like. Pretty fascinating stuff.

She finds a way to make stories about seemingly mundane properties extremely interesting. It can almost be information overload at times, but in a good way.

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:04 am

Louie wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:34 am

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:36 am This is the best investigation of the former Unity Church property that I've found online. For anyone that's been following this thread, this is a must read...

https://myomahaobsession.com/2018/12/10 ... odge-road/

Man, I've read a few of her short stories on old houses in Omaha and the like. Pretty fascinating stuff.

She finds a way to make stories about seemingly mundane properties extremely interesting. It can almost be information overload at times, but in a good way.

Oh for sure, you have to be a unique person to do the amount of digging she does for such niche topics.

Louie wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:31 am

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:04 am

Louie wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:34 am

omaha79 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:36 am This is the best investigation of the former Unity Church property that I've found online. For anyone that's been following this thread, this is a must read...

https://myomahaobsession.com/2018/12/10 ... odge-road/

Man, I've read a few of her short stories on old houses in Omaha and the like. Pretty fascinating stuff.

She finds a way to make stories about seemingly mundane properties extremely interesting. It can almost be information overload at times, but in a good way.

Oh for sure, you have to be a unique person to do the amount of digging she does for such niche topics.

It is cool though. Sometimes, I drive around Omaha and see a unique house, or a property that doesn't feel like it fits with everything around it and you wonder why it exists at all. Often, she has the answer to it.

Many years go I attended a wedding at this Church. Probably around 1990.

nativeomahan wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:42 pm Many years go I attended a wedding at this Church. Probably around 1990.

Dàmn you’re old