OMAHA — An $82 million apartment complex is poised to dramatically change the look of the busy Dodge Street corridor, clearing multiple structures but preserving and repurposing a landmark animal hospital as the project’s “front door.”

The new five-story building, with about 330 units, is to stretch across 2.5 acres southeast of 48th and Dodge Streets.

It calls for demolition of nine houses along Douglas Street and a cluster of commercial buildings fronting Dodge. Saved would be the structure that housed Pittman veterinary services at 4629 Dodge, which is designated a local landmark.

That one-story streamlined Art Moderne style brick building designed by Omaha’s John Latenser & Sons is to be rehabilitated into a leasing office and gathering spot for the tenants of the project.

Dr. Arthur B. Pittman, Omaha’s first African American veterinarian and notable civic leader, operated a successful practice out of the facility until his death in 1990. Vet services continued at the site, which retained Pittman’s name.

Constructed in 1948, the structure stands out also for its curved, glass-block walls.

The project redevelopment team managed by Jared Hollinger seeks approval from the city of nearly $11 million in a public subsidy called tax-increment financing to help transform the site into apartments.

If approved, a city application says construction could start in November and wrap up at the end of 2024.

City planners and the Omaha Planning Board have recommended approval, though the TIF and related rezoning requests have yet to be approved by the City Council.

Brian Akert of Holland Basham Architects told Planning Board members Wednesday that the project targets a “tired” area of Dodge west of Saddle Creek Road.

According to city planners, the proposal meets goals of the city master plan by replacing vacant or underused commercial buildings along Dodge while incorporating an existing historic structure. The project that lists an address of 4651 Dodge St. is expected to promote public transportation by adding housing density along an ORBT line.

“We think it could be a great project for the area,” said Eric Englund, assistant city planning director.

Documents submitted to the city say the project site is composed of 13 parcels between Dodge and Douglas Streets, nine of them occupied by single-family houses. The houses are to be razed along with remaining commercial parcels along Dodge between 46th and 48th, except for the animal hospital.

Renderings presented to the Planning Board show an outdoor courtyard with an area for a pool and other amenities such as a fitness center, a game room and individual decks on some units.

The exterior of the Pittman building is to be restored. According to a landmark designation, the structure represents a “relatively rare local example of a small scale streamlined Art Moderne commercial building” that was included in the Nebraska Historic Buildings survey in 2003.

In all, the apartments are to span about 408,000 square feet and would occupy about two-thirds of the area bounded by Dodge, Douglas, 46th and 48th Streets, city records say. They identify the applicant/owner as Curtis Leick and say the ownership structure will consist of Burlington Capital and Sower Capital Management as principals.

Each of the 330 or so units are to be an average of 675 square feet. They are to be mostly studios leasing at an estimated $950; 111 one-bedroom units leasing at about $1,300; and 48 two-bedroom dwellings leasing for about $2,000 a month.

City planner Don Seten said the project is within the proposed streetcar influence zone, so a portion of the TIF would be designated to help finance the city’s proposed modern streetcar.

Under TIF, which is an economic development tool approved by the Nebraska Legislature, new property tax revenue generated by new development in a blighted area can be directed to cover eligible expenses incurred by a developer. The city approves the TIF amount, the developer obtains a loan, and after a loan period of generally 15 or 20 years, the property tax revenue from the project then starts flowing to traditional recipients such as school districts and local governments.

The Pittman building on Dodge Street is significant also for its association with the Black vet who funded his education by working as a railroad dining car porter.

According to the Omaha landmark designation, Dr. Arthur B. Pittman was rejected for military service after he graduated with his Veterinary of Medicine degree in 1941. He went to work in a large animal practice, which was considered an essential occupation for the war effort.

He moved from Texas to Omaha, where his clientele included area farmers and the Ak-Sar-Ben horse racetrack. During a 1986 interview with University of Omaha history professor Dennis Mihelich, Dr. Pittman was asked if he experienced prejudice working for a predominantly white clientele. He replied, “Not at all … they all call me doctor.”

The narrative in the landmark application goes on to say that Dr. Pittman’s Omaha practice initially began in a rented former gas station in Benson. He moved to 49th and Dodge Streets, into a three-bay, brick, one-story commercial building.

The 4629 Dodge St. structure, designed by John Latenser & Sons, opened for business in 1949 and was described in an Ebony magazine article as “modern” and “streamlined” and constructed for $50,000, not including the $10,000 for equipment.

Also in 1949, the vet’s wife, the former Elizabeth Davis, received her law degree from Omaha’s Creighton University. She was one of the first women and the first African American woman to do so.

While a vet, Dr. Pittman also was a civic leader. Among his roles was University of Omaha regent and president of the Omaha Urban League. He was the first African American on the City Planning Board. The landmark designation also described Dr. Pittman as a key developer of some of the city’s first integrated housing.

This story was originally published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. It is part of the national nonprofit States Newsroom. Find more at nebraskaexaminer.com.

Author Profile: Cindy Gonzalez