Leavenworth Street Emerges as a Growing Business Hub.
As a familiar block on Omaha’s east side makes a comeback on the block, local businesses, new homes and reinvestment are changing the face of a former neighborhood — and provoking several questions: What does it look like to make a neighborhood sustainable?
The history of an area is frequently created neighborhood by neighborhood. In Omaha, Nebraska, there have been indications of life returning to Leavenworth Street close to Elmwood Park with the rehabilitation of a home for an independent pharmacy, the potential for a pizza parlor and a residential development. These changes provide a helpful snapshot of what the future of local services and new housing developments can look like in a corridor.
It is not just a question of the addition of buildings. It is also about making everyday destinations more accessible, providing opportunities for residents to spend locally and providing independent businesses with space to attend to customers.
A business with room to develop locally
One of the most obvious signs of change on this section was the refurbishment of Elmwood Pharmacy. The pharmacy originally occupied a small area but after about 10 years, they outgrew it, said owner Jeff Kilborn. The new site provided additional space and increased corner visibility, enabling the business to stay in the neighborhood.
Small companies and enterprises have a unique role in community economies. They offer services in the area, create connections with their customers and retain some of their money in the community. But these factors must be practical, having appropriate facilities, cost control, visibility, access and a secure customer base.
New energy and new needs come in the form of housing
Construction of 20 for-sale row houses around Elmwood Park also was described in the 2023 news report. New housing can attract new residents to become close neighbours to shops and services. This can increase the traffic of customers to local retailers and make a street more lively during the day.
But it’s not a givens growth. New housing will be most successful if it is integrated in a sensible way with sidewalks, transport, services, and public areas. The residents don’t just need to have a place to call home; they need to have access to groceries, healthcare, food, recreation, and all other essentials that they require every day.
The value of a diversity of businesses
A resilient commercial corridor is used for a variety of commonplace activities. Essential services like pharmacies and other vital services aid residents in their daily lives, and cafés, restaurants and specialty shops entice residents to be in the neighborhood longer. The area is also a good mix of businesses, making it easy for people to find things to do, and providing an attractive place for tourists to stay. Independent businesses will also benefit from having visible storefronts, pedestrian access and affordable commercial space to draw in customers and make an impact in the community.
A loyal local clientele, good community connections and appropriate retail locations that accommodate a small business are more likely to boost its success. By establishing construction schedules and ensuring proper collaboration among business owners and developers, disruptions can be minimized and sustained growth can be maintained. A varied mix of services to offer the needs of the different age groups and households can also help to enhance the commercial corridor, to make it more accessible, active and sustainable to shop, work and live.
The obstacles to the momentum
Redevelopment has the potential to offer opportunity, but can also present challenging trade-offs. Rental and operating expenses could rise with greater demand for property. Some access is lost during construction and new development does not ensure that all existing businesses will take advantage. A neighborhood may also have a different opinion regarding the types of businesses that it requires the most.
Hence growth must be judged not just on the projects announced. Examples of these measures are if businesses are open, residents can access essential services, the streets are safe and connected, and new investment is beneficial to the people who already live in the area.
What's the next step?
Continued development along Leavenworth Street can provide chances for additional local services and activity along the street. Whether these various elements of new housing, existing businesses and future investment will work together will determine long-term results. Business owners, residents, property owners and city planners can work together to ensure the development meets the needs of the community.
There are little things that can make a big difference: good signage on construction, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, clean and inviting public spaces and stores that are appropriate for small businesses. This practical information may help make it easier for residents to support local businesses, and for local business owners to envision a future on the corridor.
A More Resilient Corridor begins with community
A lesson from the story of Leavenworth Street is that neighborhood economies thrive when they are a product of local ingenuity, functional housing, and convenient services and land use planning. While new investment can give a corridor momentum, it is important that it is successful in the end and serves the residents, employees and customers of the corridor.
