Second phase of Ralston Hinge Project underway

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The city of Ralston will soon see some big changes to a historic building. It's just the latest step in a redevelopment project aimed at changing the entire face of the downtown area. The old Ralston granary has stood in the Ralston community for over a century. Now, the latest phase in the Hinge project will give new life to the old building.

“Today in Ralston we are announcing another big community game changer for our city. The Hinge project is accelerating and bringing new jobs and new growth and new opportunities for Ralston,” said Mayor Donald Groesser.

The goal is to fill the space with 10 businesses and create 100 new jobs in the community. The entire project has a price tag of 14 million dollars. “So what we’ll be doing is not just investing in new companies that are interested in coming here but providing some mentorship, guidance, and support and some of the key aspects of what it takes to get a business from zero to 100,” said Gordon Whitten, I See It Ventures CEO.

It’s just the second phase of the hinge project. The first was a new apartment complex. The multi-year project plans include more housing-- including townhomes.

The redevelopment project has been in the works since 2014 with the goal of completely revitalizing Ralston’s downtown.

“The overall vision is an ecosystem, an ecosystem of a physical environment, a live, work and play environment, where we have entertainment, we have housing, we have a vibrant new community of entrepreneurs being formed right here in Ralston.”

Project leaders hope to start construction on the granary within the next few months and hope to have it complete within two years.

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