By: Melina Matthes
mmatthes@klkntv.com
If the City Council approves, you could see even more cranes in Lincoln as construction for the new LPS District Office begins.
It's been almost 9 months since the LPS District Office building burned to the ground. Today, the local planning commission gave the go-ahead to move forward. Now it's up to the city council.
The Memorial Day blaze that destroyed the Lincoln Public School's District Headquarters building was the city's largest fire in history.
Lincoln residents are reminded of the fire every time they drive by the empty lot. If the city council approves, construction will soon begin and not only with the new District Office building be rebuilt there, other businesses will pop up.
Corry Compton, a Lincoln resident, said, "I think it'd be nice having something there. Having kind of an empty lot just raises a lot of questions. So it'd be nice to see something put there."
One such store, Whole Foods, a popular high-end grocery store is considering going in.
Wendy Scharp, another Lincoln resident, said, "I like organic foods. I like eating more natural foods. And I have quite a few friends who are more interested in that kind of thing. I think it'll be good for Lincoln."
In just a few months, construction for the new LPS building will begin. However, the main entrance will be opposite of where it was located before. It will face away from O Street and the building will have multiple stories.
Some neighborhood residents have expressed concern about the noise of the construction as well as the possible traffic that goes along with retail stores. LPS said it's listening.
Scott Wieskamp, LPS Director of Facilities, said, "We want to make sure we do what's best for Lincoln Public Schools. Our staff, our students, our parents that use the facility...we want to make sure that this project is good for our community."
The goal is to break ground in May. The LPS plans to move into the new District Office building July of 2013.
