BEATRICE – A former elementary school in Beatrice will be converted into a 25-unit apartment development for senior citizens.


The Beatrice City Council Monday night approved the plan put forward by Hoppe Development, of Lincoln…which will use tax increment financing for the approximate $5.8 million project.


Connor Menard of Hoppe says some of the preliminary work is being done after the firm just completely acquisition of the former Stoddard Elementary School last week. It had been transferred from Beatrice Public Schools to the City of Beatrice.  "We're looking to start some demo work and asbestos abatement here shortly, and then looking to close on all the other funding sources here in early May. TIF is a huge source for this project to help this thing cross the finish line."


Stoddard was no longer needed by the school district, because a new prekindergarten to fifth grade elementary school opened last August, replacing four buildings constructed in the 1950s. The apartments at the Stoddard site would be for residents 55-and-older.


"This is an affordable housing project with NIFA, the Nebraska Finance Investment Authority. There's actually twenty percent of the units are restricted, but all of the other ones are sixty percent of arean median, or below. So, 80 percent of the units are....and 20 percent will be market rate."


Menard says the company hopes to begin leasing the units by the first quarter of 2026. Hoppe is also hoping to eventually develop the south half of the Stoddard property. The firm is also redeveloping the downtown former Paddock Hotel, once known as the Kensington assisted living center.


The council’s approval of the Stoddard site plan sends it back to the Community Redevelopment Authority for approval of the redevelopment plan.


Also in the area of housing, a representative of Southeast Nebraska Development District updated city officials on an owner-occupied home rehabilitation block grant, where eligible homeowners have been able to tap up to $25,000 each, to upgrade homes. Cole Hartgerink, a Housing Specialist with SENDD, says the project has received 30 applications, of which 19 were selected as eligible.


Monday night was the second required public hearing on the grant program. The program is on track to complete 19 rehab projects by February. It helps homeowners meet building and safety codes, make improvements to HVAC systems and weatherize, among other things. Each site goes through an initial inspection, progress evaluation and final inspection. The project is using local or regional contractors, when possible.