Crews continue making strides on North Corps renovation
OMAHA, Neb.—For more than a year, Lueder Construction has been working on The Salvation Army North Corps Community Center renovation and expansion project.
"We have done quite a lot,” said project engineer Josh Rehn. “The gym is one of the areas that's probably the closest to completion for this project. So, we had the gym flooring down just last week. Next Monday, they're going to start striping it and painting it and sealing it.”
He estimated the gym area is 90-95 percent finished. The remaining work includes putting HVAC ducts in the ceiling.
The progress has been encouraging to corps officer Lt. Marsha Williams-Miller.
"I walked in here last week, and it was beautiful to see all of the things that we've dreamt about through the last few months come together," she said.
Rehn said crews have also been working on the corps’ east side.
“Getting the worship area finished up and getting the ceiling in there, getting all the electrical rough-ins and all the mechanical rough-ins put in place. And we're starting to do finishes, like the tile work in the bathrooms.”
He added the new addition’s air conditioning system is now running – an especially important step to take during the summer months.
Another big step was installing glass frames in the east area.
"That'll let us get in the rest of the doors,” Rehn said. “That'll let us get carpet down and do other finishes."
However, he said the exterior work is the greatest challenge on the horizon, particularly because of the weather.
“It rains one day, and it takes multiple days to dry. But we are still moving forward and getting it done. Even just this week, they’re going to be pouring a big portion of the pavement.”
The North Corps renovation and expansion effort is a two-phase project. The current work is part of the first phase, which Rehn expects to wrap up in September. The second phase involves renovating the existing structure. That is expected to finish in April 2026.
"September and April cannot come fast enough," Williams-Miller said. "One of the first opportunities that we will get to serve our community will be at Christmas sign ups, and that happens at the beginning of November. I'm excited to welcome families in here for that. I'm happy to welcome families for Christmas distribution in this space.”
Rehn said he gets a little extra satisfaction with this project.
"I've done a lot of different projects with a lot of great clients, and Salvation Army is definitely one of the best ones I've had the pleasure of working with,” he said. “Their mission, their goal is just so amazing.
"Just seeing that I can be providing a building for such an amazing mission and group of people -- to help them further what they're doing in the community – it’s just an amazing feeling."