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Webster Rehab, LLC (on behalf of White Lotus Group)
1114 Florence Boulevard Omaha, NE 68102
10404 Essex Court, Suite 101 Omaha, Nebraska 68114
www.whitelotusgroup.com
Drew Sova
Executive Vice President / General Counsel
Dsova@whitelotusgroup.com
+1 (402) 346-5550
Yes
Arun Agarwal (CEO), Drew Sova (EVP/General Counsel), Eric Wolfe (Architect/Construction Manager), Andrea Macias (Dev Coordiator), Darienne Pokorny (Controller/Auditor/CPA), Crystal Cantrell (Regional Prop Mgr), Shawn Johnson (SVP - Ops)
See attached
White Lotus Group, headquartered in Omaha, with office in a QCT, has been actively developing projects in North and South Omaha throughout our history. Projects of note include, but are not limited to: 30 Metro Place, Prairie Springs, Turner Court Apartments, 1401 Jones (new public library), RTG Medical (NMTC - corp HQ in Fremont), Hotel Deco, Ames Plaza, Ames Innovation, Ames Rows, Learning Community of South Omaha, Blackstone, Baxter Auto, Nebraska Realty. Recent Awards: State of Nebraska DHHS, DMV and Veterans Campus in GI. Accomplishments include approximately $100MM of investments in North Omaha with no philanthropic awards. Over 500 units of affordable housing totaling housing for nearly 2000 people. We have aided in over 1,000 jobs created or positions earned since inception within Omaha alone.
1114 Florence Flex Workspace
8866592.0
3968856.0
Capital project
Webster Rehab, LLC, which is wholly owned by White Lotus Group (“WLG”), is requesting an award of funds via the Omaha Economic Recovery Grant to complete its capital stack for renovation and development of the three-story building (the “Omaha Van & Storage Building”) at 1114 Florence Boulevard in North Omaha. With its high ceilings and open floor plates, the Omaha Van & Storage Building offers a blank canvas to the North Omaha community, with over 30,000 square feet of developable space. The site is situated between the Muse Apartment Complex to its south and the recently announced CHI Health commercial kitchen to its north, and presents opportunity to add commercial and office use on a major North Omaha thoroughfare. The Omaha Van and Storage Building, originally constructed in 1888, has held no regular tenant since at least 1991 and is in a state of disrepair. The exterior façade, with its crumbling masonry, mismatched coloring and boarded up windows, hides an even harsher interior filled with evidence of homeless encampments and excessive wear and tear. At the same time, with its all-wood interior framing, the building presents a design feature which is coming back into popularity within the office community. WLG is off and running in the planning and design stages of this redevelopment. As a part of our capital stack, we have begun the process to utilize federal and state historic tax credits. After receiving unanimous approval from the Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission and NE State Historic Preservation Board to nominate this building for National Registry Listing, we sent our full application to the National Park Service in September (and expect approval before year end). Additionally, we’ve confirmed with the City this building sits within the CRA and EBA, making it eligible for 20-year Tax Increment Financing. Finally, WLG has engaged Holland Basham Architects to begin schematic design of the building’s renovation. With an award of the Omaha Economic Recovery Grant, our capital stack will be fully complete, and we’d expect to commence immediately, with a 14-month construction period finishing in the first half of 2024.
See attached “1114 Florence – Construction Timeline”, but note project will be completed by April 1, 2024.
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Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)
Multimodal Transportation (i.e., enable connectivity through driving, biking, taking transit, walking, and rolling) Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
We plan to renovate the Omaha Van & Storage Building into flexible commercial workspace, envisioning multiple set ups based on tenancy, including three floors of flexible office space, or a more varied environment, including some or all of the first floor being used as a craftmanship workspace. This project will serve a variety of the North Omaha community’s needs, including (1) investment in a structure set for demolition, which would have added another vacant parcel to the North Omaha community, (2) continuing the redevelopment of Florence Boulevard north of Creighton University, with construction to overlap with the CHI Health commercial kitchen to the north, (3) providing affordable commercial space by utilizing ARPA funds to lower the all-in cost to build, (4) development of office space along a multi-modal transportation route, with Florence Boulevard to the east and Route 18 of the METRO line to the west on 20th street, and (5) providing office space and jobs directly to the North Omaha area.
1. Redevelopment of a culturally significant property by preserving the “Omaha Van & Storage” historic building, a structure originally built in 1888 (which has been nominated, through unanimous approval of the Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission (unanimous content attached as an exhibit) and NE State Historic Preservation Board for the National Register of Historic Places (NPS submission attached as an exhibit). Without redevelopment, structure was to be demolished by City of Omaha, creating another vacant parcel in North Omaha. 2. Proximity to workforce, attempting to assist no-car households via location of employment, and developing along Metro bus route. 3. Bringing flexible office space directly into North Omaha to generate jobs and workspace. 4. Marketing to the community, presenting office space in North Omaha with ease of location and flexibility to adapt to needs of business owner. 5. Costs of construction, using ARPA funds to lower overall investment of development, allowing for more flexible leasing opportunities.
Leveraging ARPA funds to continue development into North Omaha without displacement, eliminating a blighted structure which had become visual eyesore and haven for homeless encampments. Instead of unappealing structure or future vacant land, historic rehabilitation of building will enhance safety of the area which includes the MUSE Apartments and future CHI Health community kitchen, further spurring connectivity between downtown Omaha and the North Omaha community.
The economic impact should not be simply weighted by the redevelopment project, but the affordability of the office space created by utilizing ARPA funds to lower overall investment into the project. See below:
110
40
$15-$50 per hour (construction jobs) / $20-$75 per house (permanent jobs)
While a general contractor has been selected (Ronco), all subcontractors will go through competitive bidding process allowing for minority owned and local North Omaha contractors to bid and have a direct impact on the project.
The development of the Omaha Van & Storage Building will mark another construction project for this stretch of Florence Boulevard and the surrounding community. The surrounding four block radius has seen the Muse Apartments and Nichol Flats Apartments recently developed. Additionally, new construction is taking place at 20th and Paul Street (to our northwest), and the CHI Health community kitchen (directly to our north). We plan to rehabilitate the interior and exterior of the building to a standard that will qualify for federal and state historic tax credits. This will require substantial rehabilitation to the exterior façade of the building, including preservation of the Omaha Van and Storage mural on the north side of the building, and preservation of the masonry walls. On the interior, we will refurbish the wood framed interior, providing a dynamic narrative for the North Omaha community. Two other all wood-framed office buildings have been recently announced for downtown-Omaha (both South of Cuming Street), this will provide opportunity to highlight this design feature in a more adaptive/reusable fashion. This office space will provide entrepreneurs from North Omaha a place to work, enhance their business environmental/products/culture/employees, and ultimately use those tools to further invest in/grow the community.
We have acquired one of the two vacant parcels of land directly to our west (with plans nearing finalization to acquire the other). These acquisitions allow us to provide parking for our building and streetscape/light land abutting 20th street and Florence Blvd.
Newly designed, flexible workspace to the North Omaha area. As example of adaptive use to a previously unused structure, highlighting how investment dollars can produce results.
Enhancement of building in disrepair (interior and exterior). Enhancement of block through lighting/streetscape, displacement of trash and debris. Generation of North Omaha office / mixed use space, allowing for creativity in design driven by the users themselves. By keeping workspace in North Omaha, goal would be to attract employers in the area, who then themselves look to same community to bring in employees.
Measurement of these benefits can occur through monitoring of building lease up, how many of tenants are startups, how many owners/employees live in the area (measured by the Omaha chamber).
Yes, we believe this project will provide further investment in the North Omaha community, specifically, this area of downtown north of Cuming Street and east of 16th Street.
Yes
We plan to utilize our relationships with Metro Community College, Spark CDI, Provent Ventures, Charles Drew Health and Empowerment Network. All of these organizations are ones White Lotus Group has either worked with on other projects, or started the process of engaging for lease-up in this space.
No
1114 Florence Boulevard Omaha, NE 68102 Location is west of Florence Boulevard, east of 20th street, directly adjacent (south) to future CHI Health community kitchen.
Within one or more QCTs
We've uploaded Construction Bid, Construction Timeline, Financial Summary, Flexible Workspace narrative and site photos, Evidence of Ownership, Omaha Planning Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission - Unanimous Approval of National Registry Listing, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Please see attached proforma to showcase the value proposition.
Funds will be utilized to implement the substantial renovation of a structure which has been vacant for years, and is in a state of disrepair.
Yes
Depending on how the program is implemented. Owner will expend funds on the renovation and generate monthly pay applications with General Contractor. We can either fund the costs up front through revolving loan (and ask for reimbursement), or make request for direct funding of costs.
Funding sources showing on attached "1114 Florence - Financial Summary", and are finalized.
They are finalized.
Yes, ARPA award.
No, project is to be completed in one phase, renovation of the entire building.
Organization will be investing $730,000 on the site, through acquisition (already occurred) and initial renovation costs.
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Additional Location Documents (see application for list) Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) Documentation of site control (proof of ownership, option, purchase contract, or long-term lease agreement) Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Pro Forma Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Schedule