Developers win council approval for Old Town/Little Bohemia plats; neighbors press for parking study

The Omaha City Council approved a package of rezones and plats tied to the Old Town Village/Little Bohemia redevelopment after extended public hearings, while neighbors and business owners pressed the city for a comprehensive parking study and additional protections for the neighborhood.

The City Council voted 7-0 to approve items 12 through 16 — including the rezoning, preliminary and final plats and subdivision agreements tied to the Old Town Village/Little Bohemia project — after developer Tom Maclay of Clarity Development outlined plans to retain multiple historic buildings and add roughly 154 new residential units, mixed-use storefronts and on-site parking. "We chose not to do that. We chose to save the various elements that I had talked about previously," Maclay told the council, describing reuse of 19th-century buildings alongside new construction and use of state and federal historic tax credits.

Why it matters: The redevelopment affects an established commercial corridor on South Thirteenth Street (Little Bohemia), a neighborhood business district with longtime retailers and restaurants. Supporters say the project will bring housing and commercial activity to a long-disinvested area; opponents warned it will worsen existing parking shortages and change neighborhood character.

Opponents' testimony focused on…