By Katie Knapp
Omaha, NE – The Omaha City Council has approved one of the first steps in the possible building of a downtown stadium for the College World Series.
Tuesday, City Councilmen signed off on a plan to demolish the Pinnacle Foods site in downtown Omaha. The Stadium Oversight Committee's ballpark proposal calls for tearing down the Pinnacle plant and using the site for parking. It'll cost $3.4 million to demolish the building.
The Council vote was unanimous. But District Four Councilman Garry Gernandt noted that he was only voting in favor of the demolition because of six public safety hazards at the site. He says his vote isn't a sign of support for the downtown stadium plan.
Other items, such as the stadium proposal itself, the hotel/motel tax increase, and the car rental fee are scheduled for a public hearing June third. The city council could approve those items at the June tenth meeting.