The Mill

[Coyote]

A Site Plan has been submitted to the Planning Board for this site by the Benson Apartment Fund LLC:

image.jpeg

[Coyote]

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[Taco]

Land was/is owned by Nancy Mammel. I believe she has a few parcels she is looking to turn into affordable housing or community resources.

[Foundations]

Benson Apartment Fund traces back to Sage Capital.

[iamjacobm]

Looks like Sage Capital bought it. They are the group behind Dundee Flats.

[iamjacobm]

Benson Apartment Fund traces back to Sage Capital.

Dang, beat me to it!

[Coyote]

Dundee Flats apartments now ready as developer shifts focus to Benson project

If all goes as planned, the apartments at 6152 Military Ave. will rise five levels (one of those for parking). It would have a workout room and outdoor commons area with kitchen fire pits and games.

Anticipated ground breaking for the Mill, which will seek public tax increment financing, is October.

[iamjacobm]

97 units. Renderings at the bottom. Good density on this lot.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/22.pdf

[ScrattyB]

Approx 80,000 sq ft
56 studios
30 one-bedroom
11 two-bedroom

If I completely make up some numbers, that could be 1100 sq ft for 2 bedrooms, 950 sq ft for 1 bedrooms, which leaves around 640 sq ft (60 sq m) for each studio. That's not bad at all. Potentially much bigger rooms compared to Furniture Row apartments.

[ita]

KETV's video segment includes additional renderings.

https://www.ketv.com/article/developers ... n/28893208

[iamjacobm]

$2 million TIF request. Some more floor plan and rendering detail.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/09.pdf

[ScrattyB]

From the building layout graphic:
540 sq/ft studios
680 sq/ft 1-bedrooms
1000 sq/ft 2-bedrooms

[ita]

This project has opened up a debate about parking in Benson. The project has about 25 spaces less than the number of units, which is causing concern about putting more pressure on the neighborhood's parking situation. However, I agree with Mr. Jerram, right at the end of the segment, that with this being on a major bus route, developments like this should be built with that in mind and we can move away from car centric policies.

https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Benso ... 08341.html

[BIGO88]

Mill apartments coming along!

[Athomsfere]

This project has opened up a debate about parking in Benson. The project has about 25 spaces less than the number of units, which is causing concern about putting more pressure on the neighborhood's parking situation. However, I agree with Mr. Jerram, right at the end of the segment, that with this being on a major bus route, developments like this should be built with that in mind and we can move away from car centric policies.

https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Benso ... 08341.html

I also agree here. Focus on what's actually good for the city/ world. Not what's good for parking in a neighborhood.

[PWL73316]

In reality, anybody living in these apartments is going to have a car, because it's a necessity for living in Omaha, with very rare exceptions. It would be great if we got public transportation such that it was realistic to use alternatives, but we are a long way from that.

We're moving in the right direction (this article is a year old) with ORBT and other things, but you'll still struggle to do basic things like get groceries without it taking a full day.

[Padre]

In reality, anybody living in these apartments is going to have a car, because it's a necessity for living in Omaha, with very rare exceptions. It would be great if we got public transportation such that it was realistic to use alternatives, but we are a long way from that.

We're moving in the right direction (this article is a year old) with ORBT and other things, but you'll still struggle to do basic things like get groceries without it taking a full day.

From that particualar location, it would actually be fairly easy to get to a grocery store in a reasonable amout of time. However, I do agree that the mass transit infrastructure is not there yet to make it very easy to live in Omaha without a car. Maybe in ten years...

[Busguy2010]

Yeah I was gonna say you could catch the 4, the 8, or 14 and be at one of the many grocery stores along those lines in short time and without transfer. Family Fare/Walmart Neighborhood Market on Saddle Creek and on 90th, Bakers on 72nd or 90th, Irvington Walmart, 108th Hyvee, 108th Family Fare, Cass HyVee, Natural Grocers on Dodge, Whole Foods in Recency. And thinking of all the other types of businesses that are along those lines, there's really not a whole lot you cant do without a car in that particular location.

And Metro has been pretty good about adding in new shelters in the last few years. Pretty easy to imagine they would probably add some on the corners of 63rd & Maple, 60th & Maple, and Military & Radial, just for this project. And the 4 is loosely planned to become an ORBT route at some point.

[Greg S]

In reality, anybody living in these apartments is going to have a car, because it's a necessity for living in Omaha, with very rare exceptions. It would be great if we got public transportation such that it was realistic to use alternatives, but we are a long way from that.

We're moving in the right direction (this article is a year old) with ORBT and other things, but you'll still struggle to do basic things like get groceries without it taking a full day.

I agree with this. It would limit you on many levels. Love the direction. I work in Bellevue. No way this would work for me. We just aren't there yet on public transportation and it will be awhile to get there.

Greg

[Busguy2010]

Although I think the transit situation for people living in this building will be adequate (as I detailed above), the parking situation in Benson is horrible. All these people coming from all over the city to spend their money and have a good time flood the street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods every weekend. It would be frustrating to actually live in that neighborhood because of all the people that come in on the weekends. It's not an uncommon event at all to park like three blocks into the neighborhood for a night out on the strip... Which is a good amount why I haven't been there in a couple years

The 4 on a Friday night runs last westbound bus from Benson at 10:30p and last eastbound bus from Benson at 11:30p. Not excellent, but good IMO. I think a great deal of people just don't know about it. Maybe Metro could run specific routes later through areas that are known late-night destinations like Benson, Old Market, and Blackstone. That would at least maybe help the weekend night parking situation.

[PWL73316]

Maybe Metro could run specific routes later through areas that are known late-night destinations like Benson, Old Market, and Blackstone. That would at least maybe help the weekend night parking situation.

Creighton used to do this for Creighton students to the OM, what feels like a lifetime ago.

Seems like an obvious thing, but I'm guessing it's a cost issue. I agree with you that it would be great to alleviate parking issues, especially in Benson and Blackstone that could use more of a 'park and ride' situation.

[ita]

I agree with everything everyone is saying. The City needs to be more proactive in enhancing mass transit and the pedestrian experience and working with Metro, but it all comes down to money. It will help once Metro starts utilizing its greater taxing authority after its transition to a regional transit authority, but that is, presumably a couple years away. I am a broken record on these issues, and I hate to always say, "it's just a couple years away", but such is our situation in Omaha.

[Busguy2010]

All metro would really have to do to satisfy that solution is run the 4 and the 15 a couple hours later on Friday and Saturday, and that would cover the Old Market, Blackstone, Aksarben, Benson. I'm sure it does come down to funding. Your typical drunk driver doesn't like to see their tax dollars allocated toward an empty bus driving down the street at 2:30 am...

[PWL73316]

As you know, running the routes is not even half the battle, especially with the biases we have in Omaha (although the route is necessary, obviously). You definitely need special advertising and branding if you want the younger, spendier, whiter crowd that is the majority of the clientele in all those areas to consider it an option on weekends.

[Busguy2010]

As you know, running the routes is not even half the battle, especially with the biases we have in Omaha (although the route is necessary, obviously). You definitely need special advertising and branding if you want the younger, spendier, whiter crowd that is the majority of the clientele in all those areas to consider it an option on weekends.

I know its true but I honestly don't think it'll ever happen. Metro is pretty good for the base that already relies on it, but I will always believe that the people who live in Omaha need to make a few sacrifices if we want to have good transit. Like your sentiment, simply having the routes available isn't going to get people to use them. Honestly they could run every route every 15 minutes 24 hours a day and they would still be considered inadequate. I'm not entirely sure its Metro or Omaha that is not adequately trying, but the residents of the city.

[PWL73316]

I guess what I'm trying to say, without condemning anybody involved, is that people who never take the bus anywhere don't consider it an option. If you tell somebody who lives in apartments off Maple that they can take the bus to Benson and back and get as drunk as they want in Benson without a care in the world or the need for a parking space, maybe that appeals to them, but as it is they won't know about it or consider it no matter how often a route runs. Not sure who needs to be trying harder when the city has been so car-reliant for most of a century, but it's at least incumbent on those who want to see usage to get the word out.

Of course, this is all hypothetical anyway, but I can see a scenario where businesses in those corridors would be big proponents of some specially branded program for routes in/out of those districts.

[Busguy2010]

people who never take the bus anywhere don't consider it an option.

That is at the root. Metro could add routes, add frequency, and advertise all they want, but the point is the money is majorly coming out (or not coming out of) of the pockets of a people who would benefit from better transit, but really don't want it/don't think about it/think its a nuisance.

[ita]

Mill apartments coming along!

Don't have a pic, but I drove by today, and they have a couple more floors, might to topped off. It looks huge off Radial Highway.

[Louie]

Very imposing on Radial. But fantastic density for Benson.

[Jins123]

Idk how everyone feels about some amateur snapshot here but here and really anywhere nearby the size/density of this is cool to see, tucked away behind the main strip of Benson is nice to see

[Louie]

It looks fantastic off Radial

[Omaha Cowboy]

That’s a great pic ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[Jins123]

Signage is up and some lights are on, looks pretty solid, imo

[Omaha Cowboy]

Signage is up and some lights are on, looks pretty solid, imo

That looks good..

Thanks for posting the pic …

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[iamjacobm]

Some shots from their website, some cool views of the neighborhood. We need to get that lot developed in the last picture soon.

[Jins123]

Some shots from their website, some cool views of the neighborhood. We need to get that lot developed in the last picture soon.

I believe Full House owns it and I couldn’t agree more! Sadly, I don’t think they’ll ever sell it for whatever reason.

[Athomsfere]

Overflow parking? It's not a bad bar, but I imagine if he filled that lot with another bar then it would feel less isolated from Benson's strip and maybe do even better.