Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.Omaha's Salvation Army headquarters staff members will get some breathing room when they move to the Old Mill area this summer.
The charitable organization paid $2.37 million for two former FBI buildings — one a large garage — to help alleviate overcrowding at the five-acre Salvation Army Lied Renaissance Center near 36th and Cuming Streets. About 75 staff members will move into the new digs in midsummer.
"When we moved into the Lied Center in 1991, we had seven service programs (in Omaha). But now we have more than 25," said Salvation Army spokeswoman Susan Eustice. "It just makes sense to us to free up some space for those programs by moving our office staff to a new location."
The Salvation Army Western Division, whose headquarters are in Omaha, serves all of Nebraska, South Dakota and two-thirds of Iowa. Eustice said more than 170,000 people benefited from the Salvation Army's services in 2011. Those services include after-school programs, social clubs, parenting classes, drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, disaster response, food pantries and senior citizen care.
The money to buy the office building at 10755 Burt St. and the adjacent garage at 10629 Burt Circle came out of the organization's capital funds and not from its Tree of Lights campaign. The office building is undergoing renovations, including new carpet and ceiling tiles.
"It's a practical building, just right for our needs, and a nice location with easy access to the Interstate," Eustice said.
Maj. Paul D. Smith, the divisional commander, said plans are also being developed to improve the midtown campus that was given to the Salvation Army by Methodist Hospital for $1 in 1990. A new fire sprinkler system and additional parking are among the improvements that will be discussed.
"We are looking at what can we do, what should we do, and what adjustments should we make to best serve our clients," Smith said. "We know there are some significant structural improvements needed at the Lied Renaissance Center, and now is the time to address those issues."
Smith said the improvements to the existing campus and the new administrative space — coupled with the North Corps Community Center at 24th and Pratt Streets and the Kroc Center at 30th and Y Streets — have the Salvation Army strongly positioned to serve the community.
"We're certainly happy with the direction we're going," he said. "We're looking very good for at least the next 20 years, if not longer."
Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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