Both Omaha bond measures from Tuesday’s election seem to have passed. The bonds would allocate a total of $185 million for a safety facility and parks and recreation improvements. Both measures have significant leads as of the last update to election results early Wednesday morning.
The public facilities bond authorizes up to $155 million in general obligation bonds to help pay for a $181 million safety facility that would act as combined headquarters for the Omaha Police Department and Omaha Fire Department.
“The great thing about the police fire headquarters is that will give us an opportunity to put the men and women of the Omaha police department and fire department in significantly better- quality workspaces,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing said. “With the police department, we have a facility that has to be tested for asbestos twice a year. And certainly want to ensure that our police personnel are housed in safe facilities that don’t put their health at risk.”
The facility is slotted for a 3.2-acre site between Cass and Chicago streets near 74th Avenue, which Ewing said is $80 million cheaper than building a facility in downtown Omaha.
“I want to say thank you to the people of Omaha for believing in these two projects and the leadership of the city of Omaha team as well as the chamber and our chair, Nate Dodge, for their leadership and partnership on getting these very important bonds passed so that we can continue the amazing progress that the city of Omaha is making,” Ewing said.
The parks and recreation bond would authorize up to $30 million to complete a $68 million makeover for Tranquility Park in northwest Omaha. The city is constructing 16 synthetic-turf fields, hoping to make it a destination for youth soccer tournaments.
“This investment in outdoor recreation will benefit thousands of Omaha residents,” Omaha Interim Parks Director Jacquelyn Morrison said in a news release. “There will be spaces for organized sports, new playgrounds that are open to the public. There will be walking paths for the community, and there will also be natural surface trails, creating multiple outdoor recreation opportunities, building on Mayor Ewing’s parks investment and commitment to health and wellness for everyone.”
Neither measure increases city property or levy taxes.