Council approves Tallgrass redevelopment plan for 101 N. 14th with $210,000 TIF for facade work
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Summary
The Lincoln City Council approved a redevelopment agreement with Tallgrass Development Inc. for 101 North 14th Street, authorizing a $210,000 tax-increment financing contribution toward a $475,000 facade improvement and reserving easements under and around the parking garage for access and maintenance.
Lincoln City Council on Monday approved a redevelopment agreement with Tallgrass Development Inc. to fund facade work at 101 North 14th Street, a project that the city says will close a large curb cut and add street-level retail space.
The council approved the project 7-0 after a presentation by Peter Hein, the city’s director of urban development, and remarks from Tallgrass representatives. The redevelopment includes a $475,000 private improvement for the building facade, of which $210,000 will be provided through the downtown corridors tax-increment financing (TIF) district.
The city says the work will remove a more-than-50-foot curb cut on 14th Street, infill the opening adjacent to the existing parking garage, and create one or two street-level tenant spaces with new storefronts, signage and landscaping. Hein said the project will also add parallel parking and public-space elements such as street trees and lighting on the 14th Street frontage.
Hein told the council the city is retaining several easements to make the project feasible. Those easements include pedestrian and vehicle access from the north (P Street) and east, and a set of interstitial easements under the existing parking structure so the developer and the city can each maintain their respective structures. "We're gonna have those defined within this as we move forward so that they can essentially build this ship in a bottle, if you will, inside of our garage," Hein said.
Tallgrass president David Schmidt described the construction as complex but said his team has experience with infill projects in the area and that the developer plans to build the facade first to coordinate timing with city infrastructure work. Schmidt said the developer has not signed a tenant but expects retail or a food-and-beverage use appropriate for 14th Street.
Hein outlined the financing and timeline: the facade portion totals $475,000; the TIF contribution is $210,000 and there is no bond issuance associated with the TIF for this project. Construction timing and other street/garage entrance changes will be addressed in subsequent agreements; Hein emphasized the curb-cut closure and redesign of the garage entrance will be covered separately.
The council did not amend the material presented; the motion to approve, introduced by Councilman Beckias and seconded by Councilman Carlson, passed 7-0.
The city and developer said they would finalize easement language and coordinate timing so the facade, parking access, and future tenant improvements align with broader Music District and downtown corridor plans.
Speakers on the item included Peter Hein (director of urban development), David Schmidt (president, Tallgrass Development), Dana Schmidt (co-owner), and consultant representatives from Peace Studio Architects. Hallie Salem of urban development was identified from the staff presentation and thanked by Hein for project work.
The agreement authorizes the city to use TIF increment funds for the facade grant and records easements to preserve pedestrian and maintenance access; separate agreements will follow for closing the curb cut and redesigning the garage entrance.
The council’s approval moves the facade grant and easement framework forward; staff told the council they will return with details on construction sequencing and the separate right-of-way work for the parking garage entrance.
