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 parking, accessibility and neighborhood fit. Resident Dave Hempel told the council he had submitted a packet of photographs, a petition signed by “over 50 residents, property owners and business owners,” and a self-conducted parking analysis. "I propose that the council prioritize the idea of doing a more comprehensive study prior to approving the requested zoning changes," Hempel said during public comment. Business owner Sean Colter and other speakers described a mismatch between projected occupants/employees and available on- or off-street spaces and urged postponement until the city completed a parking analysis.

City Planning staff and the developer pushed back on the characterization that parking had been ignored. Dave Fanslau of the planning department said the 2018 walkability study included parking and that the department has not required a separate parking study for prior Thirteenth Street rezonings. Public Works director Bob Stubbe told the council a broader multimodal study of the corridor would start in the fall and include traffic, bicycle and pedestrian amenities with a report expected in 2026.

Council members pressed staff on the difference between a site-specific parking analysis and larger corridor-level planning. "That idea and perception of parking being an issue is just that. It is a perception," Tom Maclay said in response to specific photos offered by opponents, adding the project includes garage parking at the ground level and that planning staff and public works reviewed the project.

Several business owners and neighborhood residents voiced concern about impacts on older customers and employees who rely on nearby on-street parking. Grace Kelly, a neighborhood resident and statistician who moved recently from Little Bohemia, said the scale of proposed, higher-cost apartments threatened affordability and neighborhood character: "I implore the council to think about who benefits from this plan and how we want to shape the future of our city." Caroline McBride, vice president of the Little Bohemia Business Improvement District, spoke in support, saying the project "fits the neighborhood and suits it well" while urging continued dialog.

Council response and next steps: Council members expressed sympathy for parking concerns while citing the city's broader policy aim to encourage denser, walkable development in nodes like Thirteenth Street. Councilmember Festersen and others said they supported the project and emphasized the need to balance historic preservation and new development. The planning department said it is updating corridor-level studies; staff recommended approval and the council followed that recommendation.

TIF and later hearings: The meeting also opened public hearings on Little Bow-related tax-increment financing redevelopment agreements (items 67 and 68). City planning staff presented those agreements and developer Tom Maclay responded to questions; the transcript records public hearings but does not show final council action on those specific redevelopment agreements within the portion provided.

What was decided formally at this meeting: the council approved the rezones and plats associated with Old Town Village/Little Bohemia (items 12 through 16 and related plats) by roll call, 7-0. The transcript records public hearings for the Little Bow Historic and Little Bow Village TIF redevelopment agreements but does not record the final vote on those agreements in the provided segment.

Community context: The debate reflects a recurring tension in Omaha land-use decisions: neighborhood-level capacity for parking and access versus citywide goals to increase housing supply and encourage walkable, transit-friendly development. Planning staff told the council that an updated multimodal study and future land-use update are underway and will inform corridor-level decisions.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified by name and role as they appeared in the meeting record. All direct quotes are drawn from the meeting transcript.