Developers and Residents Discuss El Toro Plaza TIF as Council Hears Support and Questions

City planning staff and the project developer presented the El Toro Plaza redevelopment agreement during a public hearing at the Jan. 27 council meeting.

Bridget Hadley, City Planning, and Jack Suter of McGrath North represented the city and the developer and described the project as a catalytic redevelopment they said would bring investment to South Omaha. "I'd just like to say how extremely excited we are for this development and for what it's gonna bring to South Omaha," Suter said.

Resident Luis Jimenez said he attended community informational meetings and described the project as a "quality project coming to the area" while also cautioning about the amount of impervious surface the project would create. Jimenez raised concerns about concrete durability and surface runoff, telling the council he worried "there's gonna be a lot of impermeable surface" and asked whether the materials would hold up over time.

City staff acknowledged community outreach had occurred and noted the redevelopment agreement moves through standard review and approval channels. No opponents took the podium during the hearing; council members asked clarifying questions and the hearing closed for later council action as appropriate.

Next steps include formal council consideration of the tax-increment-financing agreement and any associated ordinances; the transcript does not record final adoption at this meeting.