Haymarket business owners want to ‘get a say’ on proposed Lincoln skyscraper

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The newly formed Lincoln Haymarket Business Association voiced its concerns on Friday about the plan for a skyscraper downtown.

The Lincoln Bold Project would build a 22-story glass and steel high-rise apartment and condo building at the corner of Ninth and P Streets.

Many business owners in the Haymarket say they aren’t against the building itself, but the location and the construction process.

Cody Schmick, co-owner of Kinkaider Brewing Co., said a lot of people have their lives invested in the Haymarket, so it’s important that they’re included in the conversation about its growth.

“We really just want to make sure that the i’s are getting dotted, the t’s are getting crossed and we get a say on kind of how this process happens,” he said.

Among the association’s concerns are that the building won’t fit in with the historic Haymarket’s character and the comprehensive plan of the district.

The business owners are also worried about how construction, which is expected to take more than two years, will affect traffic and the already limited parking downtown.

And in the long term, they want to know where the residents of the new building will park.

Matt Taylor, owner of Tavern on the Square, next to the project site, said over 2,200 citizens have signed a petition saying the project should not be approved without further consideration of its impact on the Haymarket.

“If we cannot move the project, we want to work with the developers to solve any business problems for local businesses,” he said. “We want to shorten the timeline of construction, we want to talk about parking, and we want to talk about, how do we solve any economic problems in the middle?”

Steve Glenn, a developer of the project, said he is willing to listen to the businesses and work on solutions.

“It’s important that we try to listen and come up with solutions,” he said. “And we want to be good neighbors; we’re committed to be good neighbors. These are good people in the Haymarket.”

Glenn said the team behind the project would even be willing to offer valet parking for nearby businesses during construction to deal with the lack of parking and keep customers moving through the area.

A city council meeting on Monday will start the formal approval process of the project, and Glenn said anyone looking to voice their concerns is welcome to join.