98 affordable housing units coming to neighborhood near Wyuka Cemetery

The Gatehouse Rows Redevelopment Project is still a few years from completion, but it's moving forward with more funding.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Wyuka Redevelopment Plan is, as the name implies, the City’s map to working on the area west of Wyuka Cemetery. Part of this plan is the Gatehouse Rows Redevelopment Project, which would bring 98 affordable housing units to the area.

After Monday’s city council meeting, there’s a bit more funding for the project. It was previously granted a little more than $1.6 million, but it’s now been rounded to an even $2 million.

What does a couple million dollars get you? According to Director of Urban Development Dan Marvin, “These types of projects really build quality housing”. In addition to quality, Marvin says the units will be energy efficient. There are also plans to get a lot of value out of the area with a community garden, playground, clubhouse, and some other amenities.

There are also plans to pave the existing gravel roads in the area near Q and North 36th Streets. That doesn’t mean everyone is on board, however.

Speaking at the council meeting, Kirk Barber expressed concerns he says are shared by his family and other neighbors: “Is there any way they vet the people that are going in there? As far as, say, child offenders, or drug dealers, or stuff like that?”

Barber also mentioned the possibility of increased traffic being something that has people in the neighborhood upset.

The city’s answers to both issues suggest there’s nothing to worry about. There’s a strict application policy that checks both income and criminal records. And according to Director Marvin, a traffic study shows there would still be less traffic in the neighborhood than in surrounding areas, even with the development finished.

The project is still quite a ways off, but there are already preparations being made to the site. For now, it’s mostly unseen work, but keep an eye on North 36th to see the progress as this project develops.