46 Dodge: A Mysterious Disappearance

Without community engagement, sustainable development is never guaranteed. Ghouls, zombies, and goblins aren’t as scary as the history of failed development in our city. In the spirit of Halloween, One Omaha is channeling the ghosts of developments past. 


 

Originally announced to the neighborhood in February of 2019 by Garrison companies, 46 Dodge was to include 278 apartment units on five floors above a three-story parking garage. The new development would have required clearing eight aging structures on a 1.4-acre spot southwest of 46th and Dodge Streets.

Kansas City-based developer Gary Hassenflu said the project cost was $52 million.

Rents at the complex were estimated at $900 to $1,575, depending on unit sizes ranging from studio to two bedrooms.

Amenities included a fitness center, theater room, 72-stall bike rack, and main lobby on street level to help connect with Dodge Street activity. Each unit would have a washer and dryer, high ceilings, and high-end appliances.

Planned outdoor amenities were a roof-top courtyard with a dog park area, benches, a bocce court, BBQ grills, and a patio/kitchen/pool. 

Hassenflu said he was drawn to Omaha because of the growing University of Nebraska Medical Center and the housing need the campus has created. His interest grew after learning that the project site was near a future station for Omaha’s Rapid Bus Transit (ORBT) route.

At the time, Planning Director Dave Fanslau said additional housing along and near Dodge Street would be key to the success of the ORBT system.

The city’s Planning Department recommended approval of the 46 Dodge project. Developers requested $6.5 million in TIF financing from Omaha’s Planning Board.

Neighborhood advocates argued that 46 Dodge should have more affordable units and commercial space along the street front to complement future transit-oriented development.

No changes were made to the plan after input from neighbors, and the development won approval from both the Planning Board and City Council. However, after being awarded TIF, the plans for 46 Dodge mysteriously vanished from City Council dockets. Some say the investors pulled out. Others say it included too many studio apartment units and too high of a price point to fit the neighborhood. 

Plans for the project were abandoned as of April 2020.

This blog was written by One Omaha staff. 

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