The City of Plattsmouth’s future looks bright thanks to a community vision that includes a tip of the hat to the community’s past. MDX LLC has secured Nebraska Investment Finance Authority funding to redevelop the old high school building and back parking lot on Main Street into high density residential living, calling it “Lofts on Main”.
“This is an exciting project that will not only help the community answer its housing needs but also bring life back to an historic building that has sat idle for 23 years, said Mayor Paul Lambert. “These changes will remove blighted and substandard properties that have been vacant for a generation and will redevelop them to provide desperately needed quality housing and job growth.”
Erected in 1919, the building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, making it possible for MDX to also use federal historic tax credits to help fund its renovation. In doing so, redevelopment will protect the structure’s historic architecture. Its 48,000 square-feet will be converted into (25) 1- and 2- bedroom loft units while the parking lot behind the building will become (2) 8-plexes of 2- and 3- bedroom units. These new units will also include some of the original building’s architectural features. Construction is to begin this winter and be completed within 18 months. Total investment in this project will exceed $9.5 million.
The city of Plattsmouth will also purchase the school district’s former football stadium behind the high school for redevelopment into a mixed-used residential and light commercial development. With the grand Masonic Lodge west of these properties and the Historic Downtown District located to the east, these two developments will create an architectural link between the two. Plattsmouth hopes you “Catch Our Current” as their slogan says and create what Plattsmouth needs for the future while preserving the beauty and importance of the past.
“These projects are perfect examples of a community recognizing the value and role of “placemaking” in economic development,” said NPPD Economic Development Manager Mary Plettner. “Communities must invest in housing and other quality of life attributes to make themselves a place where people want to live.”
Information for this article provided by the city of Plattsmouth, an NPPD Retail Community.