Murante likened 30th to South 24th Street some 30 years ago. He said he urged his uncle to buy the old Philips Department Store, and that many thought it was crazy because the area had been in decline. Today the structure is fully occupied.

“Some people might not see it now, but they will,” Murante said, “just like they did in South Omaha.”

Seventy Five North sees hope. Indeed, it has been busy buying lots, houses and parcels outside of the old Pleasantview, but mostly in the broader, nearly 40-acre area. The idea, Meadows said, was to grab the properties as “a pre-emptive strike — before you end up paying for value that you created.”

He added: “We want to protect against speculation and any kind of gentrification.”

The team figured that once the Highlander campus takes off, more people will want to settle in the area. Seventy Five North’s goal is to start building 50 to 70 single family for-sale homes in 2018.

“If you want great stability and help people build wealth, a good way to do that is homeownership,” Meadows said.