HistoricOmaha

Omaha World Herald
Published Tuesday October 11, 2005

BY MAHALIA ASANAENYI

Any given day, Nolan Kotschwar rides his scooter a few blocks to Grandpa C’s deli mart to buy milk, fruit and assorted groceries for his family.

At 11, Nolan is just old enough and the neighborhood safe enough for the Kotschwars to feel comfortable sending him down the street to Grandpa C’s.

Nolan’s errands may end with a plan to build a parking garage across the street from the former Dundee Dinner Theater from 50th to 51st Streets on Underwood Avenue.

“With a three-tier parking garage, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending my son to the store,” Margie Kotschwar said.

Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle has suggested building a multipurpose building with retail offices and concealed parking to alleviate Dundee’s parking problems.

“We don’t want to change the character of the neighborhood,” Suttle said.

Three possible plans have been drafted by the Architectural Offices, at 5015 Underwood Ave., which would capitalize on the natural incline east from Grandpa C’s lot to Clear Channel Radio’s parking lot.

Suttle said solving Dundee’s parking problems, filling vacant storefronts and ensuring Dundee’s vitality are major items on his agenda.

The Dundee business district is well on its way to filling vacant storefronts.

Stevie J’s Sports Grille and Marks Bistro are recent additions to the area. A bank will lease 40 percent of the Architectural Office’s main floor, in the recently restored former Buffett & Son Grocery building.

Apartments near the old Dundee Dinner Theater are being renovated. The future is uncertain, though, for the former dinner theater. Both were recently sold by Goldome Properties.

“We are (witnessing) a change in use of space,” said B.J. Reed, president of the Dundee-Memorial Park Neighborhood Association, who encouraged association members to consider Suttle’s plan.

Reed said building surface-level parking lots would mar the historical integrity of Dundee.

“I’m telling them let’s not get overly excited,” he said of area residents. “Let’s look at the best interests of the neighborhood and the businesses.”

A parking garage would fulfill Suttle’s campaign goals. Until property owners and the community reach a consensus, Suttle said, “it is only table talk.”

That is little comfort to some of the property owners.

“Our property is not for sale,” said Douglas Ruge, an attorney and beneficiary of the Ruge Trust, who did not rule out sole ownership of his property and the garage property. The Ruge family owns the buildings housing Dundee Hardware Plus, Clear Channel Radio and its adjoining parking lots, and the former homes of Twice Is Nice consignment shop and Talent Tree Galleries.

“We would look at anything that retained ownership by our family,” he said.

James Werner, who leases his property in a strip mall east of Grandpa C’s - primarily to national chains such as Pizza Hut, Edward Jones and Great Clips - also would be interested in owning the property.

After meeting with all three property owners - Grandpa C’s is owned by Louis Hyland - Suttle said the garage project is in a holding pattern, until questions are answered regarding ownership, financing, business relocation and garage capacity.

Suttle suggested sole proprietorship, forming a corporation with joint ownership by the three existing owners or, in a worst-case scenario, municipal ownership.

In addition, he proposed securing funding from private investors.

“Ideally,” Suttle said, “I would like to see the city put all of the garages in a nonprofit and set up a board of directors and businesspeople to run it.”

In regard to relocation, Suttle said the city would offer relocation benefits to business owners.

Suttle set a Dec. 31 deadline to address questions with property owners, business owners and financiers. The cost of the project is still being assessed.

If a decision were made to move forward, next would come a site survey and the drawing up of final architectural plans. Then the proposal would go before the Planning Board and City Council.

Until then, the garage is just an idea.

Hyland still isn’t sold on the project.

“I need to see it from my side of the fence before I say I’m in favor of it,” he said. “Right now, I don’t think this is good for Louis Hyland.”

Omaha.com: Character of Dundee looms large in debate