On September 17, 2018, The City of Omaha and the Omaha Housing Authority, along with Seventy Five North Revitalization Corporation and Brinshore Development, submitted a Choice Neighborhood Implementation grant application to the United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for $25 million.
If awarded, the requested $25 million of Choice Neighborhood grant funds will leverage an additional $157 million investment to transform the North 30th Street corridor. The North 30th Transformation Plan builds on the momentum created by the Prospect Village Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative and Highlander, a new mixed-income housing development that incorporates Purpose Built Communities revitalization strategies. The North 30th Transformation Plan seeks to improve the quality of life for Spencer Homes residents and residents of the Target Neighborhood by:
Transforming Spencer Homes into a vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use community, referred to as Kennedy Square
Completing the Highlander mixed-income, mixed-use development to provide residents relocation housing opportunities prior to the demolition of the Spencer Homes
Connecting the Kennedy Square and Highlander communities along a multi-modal 30th Street corridor, providing all neighborhood residents with better pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access
Partnering with the philanthropic community to magnify the impact of the Housing, People and Neighborhood Plans and uniting the Choice Neighborhood Program goals and strategies with Highlander’s Purpose Built Communities goals and strategies for a holistic approach to housing, people and neighborhood
The North 30th Transformation Plan has three components:
The Housing Plan led by Brinshore Development, LLC
The People Plan led by the Seventy Five North Revitalization Corporation
The Neighborhood Plan led by the City of Omaha.
The Omaha Housing Authority is a key partner in all components.
On February 1, 2019, HUD announced that Omaha was one of four finalists to receive Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant funds. HUD expects to make their final selections in March. If awarded, HUD requires expenditure of all funds by 2025.
For a full overview of the proposed plan, here is the grant application summary. For more information about the Choice Neighborhood Implementation grant, visit their website here.