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| The former Temple Israel site at 7023 Cass St. Crossroads Mall is to the right. Chris Machian/The World-Herald |
Church is pressing its case for old Temple Israel site
A new church that desires the old Temple Israel
for its home is stepping up its involvement in a controversy over
apartments proposed for the former synagogue site.
The evangelical Christian church, Coram Deo, has hired a prominent Omaha real estate attorney, Jerry Slusky, to press its position at City Hall. Church leaders have joined Fairacres and Dundee-Memorial Park neighborhood leaders in opposing the apartments.
Slusky said Thursday that he was putting together meetings with each council member and Coram Deo leaders. He sent a letter to the council and Mayor Jean Stothert saying that the church is willing and able to buy the 70th and Cass Streets property for $3 million.
“They want the city to know that there is an opportunity here that's solid to reuse and repurpose the (temple) building,” Slusky said.
Leaders of Temple Israel, which has moved to a new west Omaha campus, already have inked a deal to sell the property to Bluestone Development, headed by Christian Christensen.
Slusky said the church also had offered to buy the purchase agreement from Bluestone.
Larry Jobeun, an attorney for Bluestone, said Bluestone was not interested in the church's offer and had no comment on its City Hall push.
“We have a binding contract that's in place,” Jobeun said. “We're moving forward with the development as planned.”
Bluestone's purchase agreement with Temple Israel is conditioned on Bluestone's ability to build apartments on the site. Coram Deo leaders and members joined many Fairacres and Dundee-Memorial Park neighbors in speaking against the apartment proposal at an April 2 Omaha Planning Board meeting.
The board voted to recommend approval of Bluestone's plan. The proposal next will go to the City Council.
City Council President Pete Festersen has come out against the apartment proposal, citing its density, neighborhood opposition and concerns about traffic.
The church's pastor, the Rev. Bob Thune, has said Coram Deo views the Temple Israel property as ideal and something that is hard to find — a historic house of worship, in the middle of Omaha and large enough for a growing congregation. An evangelical Christian church connected with a national network called Acts 29, Coram Deo has regular services at Westside Middle School.
The church had been trying to buy the 70th and Cass Street property when Temple officials agreed to sell to Bluestone. Slusky said Thursday that the church would offer to sign a $3.06 million agreement with Temple Israel as a backup if the Bluestone deal doesn't go through.
Slusky said he was on the other side of a similar debate in 1995. He represented Broadmoor Development Co. in its proposal to build apartments on the former Beth El synagogue site at 49th and Farnam Streets.
The proposal had won the endorsement of the Planning Board. It was awaiting City Council consideration when Holland Basham Architects stepped in and bought the synagogue from the owner, Opera Omaha.
Holland Basham converted the old synagogue into an office building. Slusky said Coram Deo could similarly preserve the Temple Israel building, which was erected in the 1950s.
Barbara McCusker, Fairacres Homeowners Association president, said the group is officially neutral on Coram Deo's proposal. But she said the idea of the property being used as a church would appeal to most people in the neighborhood.
First United Methodist Church, which is across Cass Street from the site, is among neighbors who support the apartment proposal.
The Rev. Jane Florence, senior pastor of First United, said she had rejected Coram Deo leaders' invitation to join them and Fairacres neighbors in opposing the apartments.
“We are eager to welcome our new neighbors, whoever moves in there,” she said.