On the eastern edge of downtown Omaha, a 30,000-square-foot building will hold the city’s future streetcars.
Construction on the roughly $26 million streetcar maintenance facility is still underway. Within the next year, the concrete building east of Eighth Street along Riverfront Drive will become a hub for the ambitious streetcar project.
“It will be the place where our six vehicles are maintained, washed and repaired,” said Omaha Mayor John Ewing. “It will also house staff offices and the Streetcars Operations Command Center, helping support the day-to-day operations, safety and reliability of the system.”
A turntable will allow workers to navigate the large vehicles into bays for maintenance and washing. There are three levels to the facility, with space above and below to allow access to all parts of the vehicles.
The building is more than halfway complete and will eventually employ 33 people — including 16 operators, said Eric Miller, streetcar operations manager.
“I think it’s really starting to look like a real railroad if you look around,” Miller said, “and that’s what excites me the most.”
Spain-based company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles will produce the city’s six streetcar vehicles. Once operational, the vehicles are expected to run every 10 minutes during peak service. Service is planned for 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with extended run times until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
A maximum of 150 people can fit on a single streetcar vehicle. When the streetcar system opens in 2028, they’ll ride for free.
At its core, the $421 million streetcar is a development incubator. The fixed-rail system is projected to bring more than $3 billion in new investments to the heart of the metro over the next 15 years.
On the top floor of the facility, Ewing looked out over downtown Omaha. He pointed to an expansion of the nearby CHI Health Center and the Eppley Airfield expansion.
“I always say it’s going to be great in 2028,” Ewing said.