I am writing to urge you to oppose the demolition of three contributing buildings in the Gold Coast Historic District: 101 S. 38th Avenue, 115 S. 38th Avenue, and 117 S. 38th Avenue. As contributing resources, these structure are vital components of the Gold Coast Historic District, a historic district that, since 1997, has helped channel new investment into the Gold Coast, making the neighborhood one of the most popular places to live and work in the city of Omaha. Our city’s locally and nationally designated historic districts are uniquely poised to receive certain tax benefits for rental residential and commercial development - the state and federal historic tax credit – that ensure the viability of redevelopment project that recycle and reuse our historic buildings rather than send them to a landfill. The Cottonwood Hotel, formerly the Blackstone Hotel, illustrates the power of the historic tax credit in driving preservation conscious development. But if demolitions continue unabated, the Gold Coast Historic District loses its integrity and significance, a development that could seriously jeopardize the district’s status on the National Register of Historic Places and therefore developers’ abilities to access the valuable tools like the historic tax credit program. The National Register is not a static repository of our nation’s historic places, it is subject to change. Threatening the contributing resources of this district could lead to the district’s removal from the National Register, a devastating outcome for those committed to the neighborhood’s revitalization.

While historic preservation has done much to drive the popularity of the Gold Coast and Blackstone areas, this newfound popularity has not come without significant costs. In recent years, the area around 38th and Farnam Streets has become less affordable for those without the means to rent trendy apartments or dine out at high-end cafes. The proposed demolition of 101, 115, and 117 S. 38th Avenue could entrench the rising inequality in the neighborhood by decreasing the already-dwindling affordable housing options in the Gold Coast. Presently, the three homes contain 21 affordable units. Not only would this demolition decrease affordable housing, but it would also use public fund in the form of tax increment financing (TIF). The elimination of affordable housing is not in the collective interest of the citizens of Omaha. All residents of our city deserve a safe, affordable, and sanitary place to live – a function that 101, 115 and 117 S. 38th are fulfilling for those residents that call the building their home. In addition to jeopardizing the integrity of the Gold Coast Historic District, the demolition of these structures would make our city more unequal. For these reasons, I urge you to oppose the proposed demolition of 101, 115, and 117 S. 38th Avenue