For Council, historians, little house a big deal

By Tim Rohwer

The Bregant House, 517 Fourth St.

The Bregant House, 517 Fourth St.

That little house on South Fourth Street is becoming a big deal to local historians.

At the request of the Council Bluffs Historic Preservation Commission, the City Council Monday evening will vote on the designation of the Bregant House at 517 S. Fourth St. as a local historical landmark. This comes as efforts are proceeding to list the house on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The national process is almost finished,” said Mary Lou McGinn, a member of Preserve Council Bluffs.

The National Parks Service, which selects nominees to the registry, may decide on the Bregant House at its August meeting, McGinn said.

“It looks good,” she said of the possible selection.

The house is named after Jean and Inez (Lewis) Bregant, entertainers who met on the Vaudeville circuit.

In other business, the council will hold a public hearing on a request from the owner of Rodeo Saloon and BBQ at the corner of Second Street and West Broadway for outdoor dining adjacent to the building.

The request calls for a five-year lease agreement to use the city’s walkway along Second Street for an 8-foot by 44-foot dining area that would hold up to 16 tables and 32 chairs. The business would pay the city $1,000 per year for the lease.

In 2011, the City Council gave the go-ahead for businesses on that historic block to install outdoor dining areas similar to what businesses in Omaha’s Old Market do. There are currently six businesses that have outdoor dining. Rodeo’s request would not require any planter modifications.

PCB logo in black and white

Preserve Council Bluffs is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and preserve the heritage of Council Bluffs through its architecture, sites, and people.

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