Affordable green homes in north Omaha

By Erin Golden, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
For years, the once-grand apartment building on North 16th Street in Omaha was the kind of place that looked like it had been forgotten.

Built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the dark brick building known as the Margaret had fallen into disrepair by the time it entered its ninth decade. After being abandoned by its last owner, it became a popular spot for squatters, including many who left behind trash and damage from fires they set in an attempt to keep warm. At some point, part of the roof caved in.

Drive by now, though, and it's clear the Margaret is getting a second chance — and in some unexpected ways.

As contractors work to restore the historic character of the apartments —16 units that will be available for low- to moderate-income residents — they're also adding new features, including a geothermal heating system and energy-generating solar panels.

It's one of at least two new projects in north Omaha that are balancing affordability with green-friendly features that will help keep residents' energy costs down and leave behind a smaller footprint on the environment.

About two miles north, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha recently completed a house it hopes soon will be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program, which would be a first for the group. From low-flow toilets to deeper walls that allow added insulation, the house at 22nd Street and Fowler Avenue is designed to be green.

Habitat's Dan Brewer said more chapters are starting to change the way they build. “It's not only because it's the right thing to do environmentally, but because it also provides, we think, a better quality home for the homeowners.”

Going green wasn't always the goal at the Margaret.

When the north Omaha-based nonprofit Omaha Economic Development Corp. bought the building in 2006, the group's leaders planned a standard renovation.

But the group's president, Michael Maroney, said incorporating some alternative energy technology started to seem like a good idea — even though the upfront cost would be a bit higher. The organization enlisted the help of the Geothermal Green Team, a Gretna-based company that specializes in ground-source heat pumps. Read More at Omaha.com.