OMAHA- A fire-devastated South Omaha mortuary is on track to become a hub for citizen job connections. The 85-year-old building, while a simple shell as of now, is being renovated for $1.6 million by Canopy South, the buildings landlord. Canopy South then plans to offer the citizens of South Omaha investments in the property, ranging from $10, to $100, to even more.

Citizens who invest in the project will have the chance to build up their equity, and will also receive around 6% to 8% annual dividends from rent paid by occupying agencies.

Canopy South is excited to be able to give such an opportunity to South Omaha citizens, and the company believes that "[They] are breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty with a coordinated and holistic revitalization of the neighborhood." And, after the business proves to run steadily, Canopy South plans to relinquish its stakes in the building and give full control to smaller, South Omaha investors who will have the chance to run it with a locally-led board of directors.

The main tenant in the building is slated to be Heartland Workforce Solutions, which plans to use its $600,000 ARPA grant to launch operations in the facility. Similar to the North Omaha Job Center, the new site will offer resume assistance, computer training, career coaching, employment planning, adult education, and entrepreneurial support. The site will also house bilingual employment experts.

Erin Porterfield, executive director of Heartland Workforce Solutions, stated that they "want to see this as a hub of talent acquisition for businesses looking for talent to grow their businesses and to serve our community."

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