Flora Apartments

[Coyote]

Fire at vacant Flora Apartments

[Coyote]

Fire breaks out at the vacated Flora Apartments



Omaha firefighters battle a blaze in the controversial vacated Flora Apartments

[Coyote]

Crews battle fire at vacant Flora Apartments building Wednesday



The Omaha Fire Department is battling a fire at Flora Apartments near 25th and Jones St. where earlier this year, the city forced several residents out because of poor conditions inside.

[iamjacobm]

Another fire here, they should probably just tear this down.

[bldgengineer2015]

Interesting enough the rehabilitation/renovation of this building was about to start as they had just received their construction permit.

[Big E]

Interesting enough the rehabilitation/renovation of this building was about to start as they had just received their construction permit.

Five bucks says they just received their insurance policy, too.

[Coyote]

Monday morning fire in vacant Midtown Omaha apartment building delaying rehab efforts



An early-morning fire will delay the rehabilitation of a former midtown Omaha apartment complex. Construction of the Flora Apartments began in 1914. Plans called for 19 apartments, consisting of studios, one- and two-bedroom units to fill the historic building. For now, those plans will have to hold. The building’s owner was just three days from starting construction to rehab the building.

“There were efforts by the purchaser of the property to place the property on the National Register of Historic Places, and then to use tax historic credits to rehab the building,” said Omaha City Planner Shelly McCafferty. But bad luck seems to follow the Flora Apartments.

“We had heavy fire coming from the entire top level, and then we had a lot of fire on the east side from the lower level,” said Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Chad Kinney. “It was a very involved fire upon our arrival.” The complex was condemned in January 2022 after a city inspection found the conditions to be unlivable. About two dozen tenants were displaced at the time. A previous fire in June of 2021 forced more than 40 residents out. And in May 2022, after it was vacant, the building was heavily damaged by another fire.

[Coyote]

Fire again ravages vacant Flora apartments, injures one



A fire broke out almost a year after a previous fire at the vacated, troubled Flora apartments. One person was rescued from the second floor and sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries

[thenewguy]

looks like the fire finally did it in. Doesn't seem there is much to be saved

[Garrett]

Well that’s a massive shame. Could have been renovated beautifully. Omaha doesn’t have a lot of historic buildings at this scale.

[Coyote]

Downtown vacant Omaha apartments to be demolished

[Coyote]

Site of former Flora Apartments faces uncertain future after string of fires



Omaha recently lost a chance to bring more affordable housing to the area and also lost an historic building. A fire in late May was the last punch the almost century-old Flora Apartments could take. The building near 25th Avenue and Jones had taken a couple of hits before -- once when fire forced people to leave their homes and the city to tag the complex as “dangerous.”

But there was still a chance to give the brick building a new life. There were plans to build 19 new apartments here, and the new owners had the building listed as historic. “The historic designation would have been good for the building, would have probably saved it, preserved it, probably open it up for some tax credits on the state level,” said Omaha Planning Director David Fanslau. “Going through that process and then losing it obviously is a shame.”

The building was unstable, and the owners had no choice but to tear it down.
“The city didn’t put any money into it, we didn’t put any of our demo budget into it,” Fanslau said. “There’s no city lien on the property. I think after the fire their current owner just decided it was unsafe.” Now the lot sits empty -- a piece of Omaha history, gone -- and with an uncertain future.

[nativeomahan]

Very sad.

[iamjacobm]

Obviously not the same as a historic rehab, but moving quick on the new proposal. 39 units, 28 parking stalls. Looks like they are building to the lot lines. Flora Phonex Apartments. Going for the rising from the ashes thing I guess.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/23.pdf

[ita]

Obviously not the same as a historic rehab, but moving quick on the new proposal. 39 units, 28 parking stalls. Looks like they are building to the lot lines. Flora Phonex Apartments. Going for the rising from the ashes thing I guess.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/23.pdf

Wow yeah, I'm surprised someone is moving on this so quickly in the real estate and lending environment we're in. Nice density.