Crossroads neighbors still waiting for Omaha mall's transformation

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - For four years, an Omaha couple had a front-row seat, watching and waiting to see buildings grow from The Crossroads site at 72nd and Dodge streets.

They’re still waiting — but still optimistic about the project.

Four years ago, Crossroads Mall was still satanding. The COVID-19 pandemic had us keeping our distance as Carla and Mitch Jevne told us they were optimistic then about recently announced plans to turn The Crossroads into a mixed-use development district that includes restaurants, retail, entertainment, and apartments.

“I’ve taken pictures of the fencing and sent it to friends and family and said, ‘It’s actually happening,’” Mitch said.

Four years later, the couple continues to watch the site. The new look at Crossroads was originally scheduled to open this year. But after several false starts, no buildings have grown from the dirt.

“Well we were thinking it was going to happen within a year, and we kept watching, and no development. And started asking the neighbors what they thought about the development, and they weren’t sure either,” Mitch said.

Carla said it was a bit of a letdown.

“It was disappointing, all of the delays and the inconvenience to the area with nothing to show for it... like the traffic and inaccessibilty to our own home,” she told 6 News.

Her opinion of The Crossroads project site hasn’t changed in four years.

“Kind of an eyesore just sitting there with nothing in it,” she said.

But now there’s an amendment to the redevelopment agreement. The City Council recently approved the new deal.

6 News talked to City Council President Pete Festersen last month. He told us then that the new deal would give the city more control.

“Well we gotta make sure that these things happen in a timeline that can occur as soon as possible,” he said. “The city has control over some of those timelines ... can incentivize those timelines and definely require site maintance — that we expect.”

But the new deal comes with a bigger price tag that now hovers around the $1 billion mark.

For the Jevnes, that price is a bit concerning but they are still hopeful the project will get done.

“From what I understand, it’s going to be in stages, that development. So they’ll work on the first part of it, and then move onto the rest,” Carla said. “I’m pretty optisistic that this time it will happen.”

City officials told 6 News that developers have invested about $30 million preparing the site. Festersen hope construction of the project will get underway in the spring of next year.

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