Omaha officials have not yet determined the cause of a void along the streetcar route that swallowed a sidewalk and partially collapsed a vacant building in June. Now, it’s up to the building owners whether to demolish or repair the remaining structure.
Steve Jensen, interim executive director of the Omaha Streetcar Authority, said at a press conference Wednesday that the city is seeking a solution in the best interest of all parties involved.
“We know there are two options,” Jensen said. “One is to fix the building, fix the damage to the building, or a second option would be to tear it down if that was the preference of the owners.”
Jensen said the surrounding buildings in the Blackstone neighborhood are safe and stable.
The city of Omaha last month issued two property violation notices to the owner of the building near 38th and Farnam streets. The property was once home to Brothers Lounge, a cocktail bar.
In a July 30 Facebook post, Brothers Lounge wrote “every time it rains, we are terrified.” The post went on to say that there is a lack of drainage in the area and the city has done nothing to protect the building.
When asked about the possibility that streetcar construction played a role in the collapse, Jensen said the city is currently focused on resolving the issue.
“That’s a whole separate issue in terms of who’s responsible, how do we – what do we do about that?” Jensen said. “Our focus right now is getting this done as quickly as we can and finding ways to work with them to get it done.”