Culxr House set to receive $2.7 million in ARPA funds
The business is just one along the North 24th Street corridor recommended to receive money.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The Great Plains Black History Museum has been recommended to receive funding through the Nebraska legislature’s Economic Recovery Grant program to build a new facility near 24th and Lake Streets.
The Omaha Star has also been recommended to receive funds to create a museum to honor its founder, Mildred Brown.
A bit further to the north, the Culxr House is on the list. The nonprofit has also been recommended to receive federal funds.
All you have to do is drive along North 24th Street. You can go for blocks and never see a restaurant.
“We want to help with the food insecurity around here and also deliver something in the community that we don’t have,” said Marcey Yates, the Culxr House’s founder.
For four years, the non-profit has provided space for artists and musicians to work, helped register people to vote, and hosted workshops and pop-ups. Now they have plans to open a pizza shop to help bring business and jobs to the North 24th corridor.
“We’re partnering with other organizations and schools in terms of being able to employ youth, show them how to get into the kitchen, cook something, learn a recipe,” Yates said. “It’s just, a lot of things that can build from it, program-wise and beneficial-wise.”
Yates plans to go beyond the pizza shop. There are also plans to change the look of this disadvantaged area by purchasing property to create a mixed-use development that includes affordable housing and create a campus-like setting.
“If you look at a larger picture, right, pizza shop, living space for artists, creative workspace,” Yates said. “Our whole point is to help artists and provide sustainability, help them be able to acquire skills and become entrepreneurs.”
Yates hopes the growth of the Culxr House will attract others to invest in the area.
“It would be just the start to something where future business owners can be like, ‘Hey, I can put a business down there and it would work’, maybe a note to the other corporate chains,” Yates said. “They can put other businesses down here too, so again, it’s just the start of something. We’re trying to help solve a piece of a larger problem.”
The Culxr House has been recommended to receive more than $2.7 million. The Nebraska Legislature’s Economic Recovery Grant program will bring more than $300 million to disadvantaged areas of North and South Omaha.
The Economic Recovery Special Committee has not made a final decision on distributing the funds.
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