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Council approves rezoning and sale of Manderson Marketplace to local cooperative; sale price set at $1 under community development law
Summary
The council approved two ordinances to rezone and add Manderson Marketplace property to an overlay district and approved related consent items that formalize a $1 purchase agreement under community development law for the site; local farming, food and cultural organizations plan to occupy the space.
The City Council approved rezoning and overlay amendments for the Manderson Marketplace property at North 20th and 4th Street (items 21 and 22) to facilitate the sale and reuse of the Manderson Market Building. The rezoning passed on a roll call vote of 7 to 0.
Kelly Johnson Dorsey of the Omaha Planning Department described the rezoning as a step to facilitate sale and reuse of the Manderson Market Building. Clarice Dombek, representing Omaha Sunflower Cooperative, Black Chick Farm and Healing Roots African Diaspora Garden, said the collective plans to use the space for plant sales, farmers markets, light food processing, workshops, community activities and as an organizational headquarters.
Councilmember Goodwin asked about the transaction amount; planning staff said the purchase agreement appears as agenda item 46 and that under community development law the sale price is $1. Clarice Dombek and representatives pledged neighborhood engagement and said Neighborhood Action in Fact would be welcome to hold meetings at the site. Several neighborhood advocates including Ella Willis and Preston Love Jr. spoke in favor, and the council approved the rezoning and the related consent items approving the sale as part of a larger consent motion later in the meeting.
Actions recorded in the meeting show the rezoning (items 21 and 22) passed 7 to 0, and the purchase agreement (item 46) was included in a consent package of items 27–52 approved by council 7 to 0. The city clerk’s agenda language identified the sale price in the purchase agreement as $1 under community development law.
Ending: Proponents said the sale would give local, Black-led organizations a permanent site to expand farmer-market, gardening and community programming. The council approved the rezoning and consent actions; the purchase agreement will be executed per the city’s community-development process.
