- Racheal Hoefker grew up in this East Omaha neighborhood and is now raising her family here with Justin Ryley.
- Neighbors like Racheal and Justin heard the news of the Airport Business Park development in December, a moment they recall as gut-wrenching.
- Their home falls within the mapped-out area for the development leaving neighbors uncertain about the future of the place they call home.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"We have family over here, family on the next block, family on the next block, family all the way down.”
The ties run deep in this neighborhood.
"See that's one of my cousins driving down the street,” said Racheal Hoefker.
Hoefker has lived in this home since she was born.
"My uncle lived here, my aunt lived here, then my mom and dad moved here, my mom and dad now live behind us," Hoefker said.
She and Justin Ryley are now raising their three kids here too.
"This is my home,” Hoefker said.
It was around Christmas when they heard the news of the Airport Business Park development.
According to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, it's a district that would accommodate national manufacturers and local businesses wanting to expand.
But neighbors like Rachael and Justin who live within the mapped-out area of the plan say they were never told and feel there are better locations for business.
"What was that feeling like when you first heard about this, reporter Molly Hudson asked. "Gut-wrenching," Hoefker said.
“It’s a bunch of secrets, like we don't know what is going on," Hoefker said.
“We have everything that we want and if they do kick us out or try to buy us out, we don’t feel like we are going to get the money, that we would need to get what we have,” Ryley said.
This family has a large yard plenty of room for their chickens, their dog and even a trampoline for their kids.
"We might have septic tanks and dirt roads, but we don't care or else we wouldn't be here,” Hoefker said.
With little information about the official plan, they have looked at options. And it would likely mean leaving Omaha.
"We are not just going to give up and say here take our house, like we don't want to move,” Hoefker said. "We have like a wall where, you know all of us as kids, have how tall we were just right in the hallway, so it's like do I take that whole plank with me or what?"
After decades rooted in this east Omaha neighborhood – the future is suddenly uncertain.
"We are just forgotten about down here and it's sad, because a lot of good people live down here,” Hoefker said.
Neighbors are meeting at 2 p.m. on Saturday February, 3 at Nite Hawkes Cafe.
