Assisting Community-Based

Redevelopment

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska, has always been dependent on the heavy 

industrial activity facilitated by its location alongside the Missouri River. 

Over time, this transportation resource has been taken for granted. A 

port that had once been successful became under used and neglected as 

businesses and residents moved out of the area; fear of potential 

contamination and environmental liability hindered redevelopment efforts. 

In response to these problems, a Brownfields Pilot awarded by EPA 

coordinated efforts among local developers, state and federal programs, 

and the surrounding community in an attempt to reverse this decline. The 

resulting transformation of three riverfront properties has leveraged 750 

jobs and more than $140 million toward the restoration of Omaha's 

waterfront area. 

The three properties targeted by the Brownfields Pilot-the Miller 

property, the City Dock Board property, and Freedom Park-are located 

on prime riverfront land, with easy access to downtown and the 

interstate. These properties had been used for a variety of industrial 

activities, including lead smelting, scrap metal recycling, and railroad 

operations. Fear of potential contamination, however, discouraged 

potential purchasers and developers from taking advantage of these 

properties' locations. 

When the city applied for and received a $200,000 grant from EPA to 

address these brownfields, it became clear that the community, local 

businesses, and developers shared a strong desire to revitalize Omaha's 

waterfront. The Brownfields Pilot performed assessments on all three 

targeted riverfront properties. The Pilot initially planned to address only 

the Dock Board property, but the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the 

work allowed for expansion of the Pilot's efforts. Following preliminary 

assessments of the Dock Board property, the Pilot received $120,000 

from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a more detailed 

environmental investigation, while initial assessments at Freedom Park 

and the Miller property indicated that no further investigation was 

necessary. The Dock Board property was cleaned up in 2004 with 

A view of Pilot-targeted brownfields 

along Omaha's riverfront 

JUST THE FACTS: • The Brownfields Pilot performed 

assessments on three sites 

along Omaha's riverfront. 

• The Pilot initially planned to address 

only one site, but the efficiency and 

cost effectiveness of the work allowed 

for expansion of the Pilot's efforts. 

• The resulting transformation of the 

three Pilot-targeted riverfront 

properties has leveraged 750 jobs and 

more than $140 million toward the 

restoration of Omaha's waterfront 

area. 

Omaha's EPA Brownfields 

Pilot has been aided through its 

partnership with the "Back to the River" 

Initiative, an initiative organized by local 

citizens to ensure that the area is redeveloped in accordance with the wishes 

of the community. The Pilot and Initiative 

agreed that the targeted properties should 

be built with sustainable, long-term uses in 

mind, and that those reuses should benefit 

all community members. 

continued • 
assistance from Nebraska's Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP). The Pilot also has been 

aided through its partnership with the "Back to the River" Initiative, an initiative 

run by local citizens organized to ensure the area is redeveloped in accordance 

with the wishes of the community. The Pilot and Initiative agreed that the 

waterfront property should be built with sustainable, long-term use in mind, 

and that the property's reuse should benefit all community members. CONTACTS:

Keeping these needs in mind, much of the redeveloped land will be made 

available to the public for recreational uses. For more information contact 

U.S. EPA-REGION 7 

(913) 551-7160 

The Gallup Corporation has invested $81 million in the City Dock Board Visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: 

property as the new location of its headquarters and corporate campus. http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ 

Construction was completed on this project in June 2003 and the building has 

been occupied since November 2003. Former Senator Bob Kerrey envisions a 

timeless symbol for downtown Omaha, stating, "We ought to be thinking about 

having something that lasts forever." In an effort to make this redevelopment a symbol 

for others to see and follow, officials wanted to make a statement; a $23 million pedestrian 

bridge over the Missouri River will do just that. The bridge currently is being redesigned and will be 

built with contributions from federal, state, and local partners. A riverfront trail system has been made 

possible by a federal transportation bill that authorized $4.8 million for the 

project. This trail is currently under construction and will provide a 

new alternative for commuter traffic and a path to recreational 

greenspace. Located in and around the surrounding region, 

these trails will offer access to water, a park area, and an 

amphitheater. Adjacent to these areas stands a new $35 

million National Park Service Regional Headquarters, which 

opened in May 2004. 

As the Brownfields Pilot continues to work with the state's VCP, 

Omaha's riverfront will once again become a place where people 

come to work and relax. When redevelopment on these 

brownfields is complete, there will be 64 miles of trails throughout 

the area, allowing the public to enjoy new parks and an amphitheater on land that had always been 

conveniently close. The redevelopment movement that began locally has been supplemented with 

federal assistance and the people of Omaha are indeed coming back to the river. 

Redevelopment in progress on one of 

Omaha's riverfront brownfields 

Brownfields Success Story Solid Waste EPA 500-F-00-254 

Omaha, Nebraska and Emergency May 2005 

Response (5105T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/