Should we welcome big box stores in midtown Omaha?

A major nationwide pharmacy chain store wants to open in the historic Dundee neighborhood of Omaha. This particular chain is trying to establish a footprint in the Omaha market, and apparently this particular property is of extreme interest, the "why" of which is unclear.

Neighbors are opposed for a number of reasons: First, the company would need to tear down existing buildings and four homes to build its store and attendant parking lot. Second, the store would be right on 49th & Dodge, where there is no left turn when approaching from the west; the location is at the crest of a hill, making ingress and egress extremely dangerous onto or off of Dodge Street. Third, there are already 18 pharmacies within a 2-mile radius of this property, some of which are small and locally owned.

But the biggest opposition is to this type of economic development in a historic neighborhood. Neighbors and neighborhood associations are arguing that historic neighborhoods should have economic development in fitting with the character of the existing neighborhood. Like much of the rest of Dundee, that development would include locally owned shops and restaurants, not big bix stores or nationwide chains.

Last week the Omaha City Council, in a four to three vote, rejected the development. Now one of the councilmen is changing his mind and calling for a revote (as if such a word actually existed). He claims that not letting this store build on this location is tantamount to saying that Omaha "is not open for business." The facts notwithstanding, he somehow believes this one decision will set a precedent that the city council will follow.

And well they should, even if I don't believe they will. We should not welcome a big box store on every corner of the city. We should not be open only to big business, as is pretty much the case right now. We should, instead, provide incentives and financial support to small and locally owned businesses, where the bulk of the money spent would stay right here in Omaha.

For me, the question is less whether the city is open for business but rather what the price is for a councilman's vote. Clearly that vote is for sale. I wonder what the pricetag is.

We know the price the neighborhood will pay.