- Aksarben Suites in Omaha has fallen into disrepair with boarded windows and abandoned items.
- A city study determined the hotel and surrounding area as blighted, the city now designates the section of land as a "community redevelopment area."
- Nearby neighbors hope to see affordable housing replace the former hotel.
A rundown, vacant hotel, it's been sitting empty for years. Now the city is looking to redevelop.
Watch Hannah's story:
"It gives scary acres. It's giving a haunted house," said Alexis Gutierrez.
Friday's view of the hotel: boarded windows, abandoned tires sitting in the parking lot, and furniture sprawled across the property. But, Omaha native Alima Bahshoota said it was not always in disrepair.
"I remember being a kid and I was like, wow, I love to be there and now that it's just diminishing, it really is sad to see it go," said Bahshoota.
The City Planning Department did a study, it found the hotel and the area around it to be rundown and deteriorating, the department deemed it a "blighted area."
In February the planning department recommended for the City Council to approve a resolution, making the location a "community redevelopment area."
The designation allows future developers to apply for Tax Increment Financing, also known as TIF.
The map shown above has an area outlined in yellow that is the city's new "community redevelopment area." The star is where the Aksarben Suites currently sits. The planning department recommends turning that into a new housing development.
"I think it'd be great, especially for the area considering there's so many job opportunities that are here just as well as across the street with College of Saint Mary that's in town we're just blocks away from UNO as well so I think it'd be a positive impact on the community and the area itself," said Gutierrez.
Jorden Lara has worked across from the hotel for five years, she hopes affordable housing is built.
"I think affordable housing is definitely a need here in Nebraska, and I think this is a good zone for affordable housing as there is, a lot of walking jobs within distance," said Lara.
Each of the individuals interviewed by KMTV said they hope to see affordable housing come to the area.
