OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — In the last year, neighbors have shared their concerns about the project, turning the Fuddruckers into a Mega Saver. Months later, as construction begins, neighbors remain disappointed and concerned.
- Neighbors told city leaders to keep the liquor sales out -- and the city council did agree.
- Ultimately the state approved a liquor license, allowing construction to begin.
- But Diana Failla, president of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association is happy the store won't be able to sell mini bottles of liquor or single cans of beer.
- Now as construction ramps up, neighbors feel like they've been drowned out.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Traffic, access to the neighborhood, safety, and lighting are all concerns neighbors have shared with reporter Molly Hudson since learning convenience store chain Mega Saver planned to build a new store near 72nd and Dodge.
"More importantly, why do we need one more here, there is a gas station right down, like less than half a mile from here," said Ramakrishna Prasadd, a neighbor in the area for over 20 years.
Prasadd shares the concerns others have expressed and adds another: a gas station that sells alcohol may contribute to more litter on his street.
"This is only going to increase the traffic, not only that, we find soda bottles, cans being thrown because people come through and you know, they just throw things," Prasadd said.
Neighbors told city leaders to keep the liquor sales out -- and the city council did agree. But, ultimately the state approved a liquor license, allowing construction to begin.
Diana Failla is the president of the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance and the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association.
"It was a loss in many ways because the bottom line is we were asking for full denial of that liquor license which would have prevented Mega Saver from building in that area," Failla said.
But Failla is happy the store won't be able to sell mini bottles of liquor or single cans of beer.
"I think people are going to continue to be very disappointed, happy that we may not have hopefully as much litter and the shooter bottles all over, but at the same time, it wasn't a true win," Failla said.
Others like Shelley Shwidelson, who reporter Molly Hudson talked to over the phone, are left with even more questions.
"How are the tankers, the gasoline tankers going to get into Mega Saver to fill their gas tank, in-ground gas tanks,” Shwidelson questioned.
Raising concerns about even more traffic going through the neighborhood she, like many, has called home for so many years.
"We are not very happy, but if we have to, we will live with it," Shwidelson said.
Now as construction ramps up, neighbors feel like they've been drowned out.
"We have spent some much time and energy trying to say no, nobody is hearing, nobody listens to our voice then, what happened to our, you know, what happened to our voice in this situation?," Prasadd said.
Reporter Molly Hudson walked into the Mega Saver headquarters just across the street but was told no one was in town to speak about this project Tuesday.
