Council clears downtown rezoning, small TIF for Douglas Street office rehab

The Omaha City Council on May 6 approved several downtown land‑use actions, including rezoning part of Town Center West from AG to MU, approval of a final plat and a subdivision agreement for Phase 2 development, and a small TIF for a Douglas Street office rehab.

Engineer Joe Foley described the Town Center West phase as primarily multifamily with some commercial space, saying the project met city requirements. "It's pretty straightforward — phase 2 of the development, mainly multifamily," Foley told the council.

For 2311 Douglas Street, staff outlined a plan to rehabs a vacant building of roughly 3,000 square feet to serve as a law office. The agenda identified TIF support "in an amount up to $95,270." Staff said the total private investment would be about $1.35 million and that the request complies with the city's master plan.

Applicant representatives, including Adam Astley and Bob Griffith, described the redevelopment and clarified that the property had been vacant since 2023. "My client purchased around 2024 with the intent to redevelop, stay downtown, hopefully increase some employment," Griffith said.

No opponents spoke at the hearings on these items. Council votes on the rezoning, plats and the Douglas Street TIF were recorded as unanimous, and the council moved the projects forward.