Omaha City Council to consider Little Bohemia Business Improvement District

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha’s historic Little Bohemia neighborhood is booming with new businesses and apartments, but as the area keeps growing, so does its traffic.

“[We see about five trucks] come in a day. If there’s no place for them to pull up, we get unloaded.”

Dave Hempel’s Sheet Metal Works business has been located along 13th for years. He says with increased traffic comes increased worry about accessibility and safety.

“The new BID is more geared towards bringing safety to the forefront in a faster timeline,” Hempel said. “We learned that the industrial people outside of the current BID have felt they want to preserve their ability to operate.”

The Omaha City Council approved the current BID a year ago with a focus on development. Hempel said the new board would focus on other aspects of bettering the neighborhood.

“It consists of better lighting in the area, better parking, finding places for people to park outside of the corridor,” Hempel said. “It also means streetscapes that will help control traffic.”

Rick Hullinger owns Chicago Lumber nearby. While he isn’t on the board, he sees it as a way to help ensure the area is up to date as it grows.

“Safety is an important thing with the main stretch into the downtown,” Hullinger said.

City councilmembers will consider approval of the BID at their next meeting, set for Tuesday afternoon.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.