The City of Omaha is making a $100 million commitment to the CHI Health Center expansion project currently underway. The City Council recently approved an amendment to the city’s agreement and lease with Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority, which outlines the City’s obligations to help fund the project. Additionally, private sources will fund $75 million of the project’s cost. The expansion includes a 94,000 sq. ft. addition to the east side of the convention center, which will create 25 more meeting rooms.
The amendment also outlines an agreement to perform an analysis of the parking that serves CHI Health Center and Charles Schwab Field. In a previous amendment, the City committed to provide 4,970 MECA-managed parking stalls. However, due to the streetcar, additional parking facilities built in the area and future planned parking facilities, the city and MECA will reconsider how many stalls the city is required to provide.
Relatedly, the city and MECA agreed to coordinate future development on the large surface parking lots known as Lot B and Lot D. In 2018, the city and MECA participated in a community-based effort to master plan future development of Lot B in a development agreement.
Now the city and MECA formally ratified the terms of development agreement. The city will conduct a community-based master planning effort for Lot D by June 1, 2026, which will include reconsideration of the covenants, restrictions and provisions under the Lot B development agreement. The impetus to develop Lot B and Lot D is on the city, however, MECA will have an opportunity to review and comment on any development plans.
