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Council approves preliminary plat for Dunham House veterans housing, renames street for Jason Dunham
Summary
The Omaha City Council unanimously approved a preliminary plat for Dunham House, a nonprofit veterans housing project that will build 30 initial living units on land near Omaha Country Club; council also approved an amendment renaming the development’s internal street to Jason Dunham Drive.
The Omaha City Council on a unanimous vote approved the preliminary plat for Dunham House, a nonprofit project that proponents said will provide specialized living units for combat-wounded veterans.
Hal Dobb, speaking for the project’s board, said the nonprofit — a subsidiary of Wounded Warriors Family Support — has purchased a 40‑acre tract near the Omaha Country Club, that “the land is paid for and there’s no debt,” and that construction funding for the first phase is in the bank. "This will be the first place in the country that specifically accommodates the living environment for combat wounded veterans," Dobb said.
Council President Festersen offered and successfully moved an amendment to the plat that removes a Planning Department requirement to extend an existing street and instead names the new internal street "Jason Dunham Drive." The amendment was approved 7–0; the main motion to approve the plat as amended also passed 7–0.
Project representatives said permits are issued, flags are in the ground and construction is planned to begin in March, with the first 30 units funded by roughly $8,000,000 of construction money and full occupancy for the initial phase expected within about 18 months. Hal Dobb said the longer-term plan envisions additional units (cited repeatedly as an additional 20 units in testimony) to allow residents to "age in place" and receive escalating care without relocating.
Supporters at the hearing included neighborhood representatives and citizen proponents who endorsed the site's location and the nonprofit’s model; one proponent explicitly suggested TIF financing as a future option. Councilmembers praised the project’s leadership and its non‑debt financing for the initial phase.
No opponents spoke during the public hearing. The City Planning Department had recommended approval.
The council’s approval authorizes the plat process to proceed; subsequent construction permits and any future financing or land-use approvals will be considered separately.
