Standing water in Blackstone streets near the hole on 38th and Farnam raise concerns for residents

Blackstone residents woke up Wednesday morning to standing water in their streets

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Blackstone residents fear standing water near 38th and Farnam could threaten Colonial Hotel

OMAHA, Neb. —

Blackstone residents woke up Wednesday morning to standing water in their streets. The city of Omaha says the area surrounding the hole in Blackstone is stable, but some people living in the area said they want assurances.

Omaha streetcar leaders gave an update on Wednesday on the standing water near 38th and Farnam. The standing water is near the hole in front of Brothers Lounge where a wall collapsed earlier this year.

City officials said they want to bring this problem to a resolution as soon as they can.

As the water pools, Colonial Hotel residents are getting worried. One of the residents said it’s more than a little bit of water.

“With the heavy rain last night, like I was thinking about it while I was listening to the rain. Yeah. Like I just heard about what that’s going to do. It’s scary,” Colonial Hotel resident Kristi Doran said.

The city cited road work in the area.

“There’s going to be standing water until we eventually just finish the work in that area,” Steve Jensen, the interim director for Omaha Streetcar Authority, said.

However, Colonial Hotel residents said they want to see proof that their building is 100 percent safe and stable.

“All we want is just assurances that that water isn’t tunneling underneath the buildings and causing a situation that it looks like it’s in front of Brothers Lounge, which is a big hole out front,” Jon Pearson, a Colonial Hotel resident, said.

The city of Omaha worked to alleviate those concerns during the news conference on Wednesday.

“We believe that the neighboring properties in Farnam Street are safe and the building is stable,” Jensen said.

Officials said they already have safety measures in place.

“Barricades are in place for a reason. So we ask that the public does not cross, do not cross the barricades since this occurred. In fact, immediately after it occurred, Kiewit installed some mitigation measures to include a berm, a tarp, fencing and a pump to get the water out,” Jensen said.

The city planned to release the brand and design of the streetcar on Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon, the city announced it is rescheduling the event. Officials said they feel that it is more important to address these issues.

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