METRO NONPROFITS ASK FOR THE COMMUNITY’S HELP, SAYING STOP BUILDING. IT WAS ONE OF OMAHA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ARCHITECTS. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M JULIE CORNELL. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. THE MC MANOR HOUSE SITS IN FOREST LAWN AND MEMORIAL PARK AND CEMETERY IN NORTH OMAHA. THE CEMETERY SAYS IT’S TIME FOR THE ABANDONED HOUSE TO COME DOWN. BUT JOCELYN CASTLE, IN A HISTORICAL PRESERVATION GROUP, ARE BEGGING FOR A CHANCE TO PRESERVE ITS HISTORY. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN. SEAN MCKINNON JOINS US WITH TONIGHT’S BIG STORY. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE CEMETERY TODAY. HE DID NOT WANT TO DO AN INTERVIEW, BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY’VE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS HOUSE FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. NOW THEY’VE REACHED A DECISION. IT’S GOING TO BE TORN DOWN. THE CEMETERIES DIRECTOR SAYS PEOPLE BREAK INTO THE ABANDONED HISTORIC HOME AND COMMIT, QUOTE, POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. HE SAYS THEY WOULD BE LIABLE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED. AND THE ONLY ANSWER IS TO TEAR DOWN. BUT AN IN ON NONPROFIT SAYS A HOME DESIGNED BY JOHN MCDONALD, ONE OF THE CITY’S GREATEST ARCHITECTS, DESERVES TO BE SAVED. HE’S ALSO THE MIND BEHIND OTHER ICONIC OMAHA BUILDINGS LIKE JOCELYN CASTLE AND THIS ONE IS JUST SITTING THERE BEGGING TO BE RESTORED. IT IS JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL. THE HOME HAS GOT SO MUCH CHARACTER, SO MUCH STYLE. TIM REEDER, THE PRESIDENT OF RESTORATION EXCHANGE, OMAHA, TEAMED UP WITH THE JOSLYN AND REACHED OUT TO THE CEMETERY SUNDAY. THE GROUPS PRESENTED THEIR CASE FOR PRESERVATION TO THE COMMUNITY AT JOSLYN CASTLE. THEY GAVE US ABOUT A WEEK TO PUT A PROPOSAL TOGETHER, WHICH WE DID, AND THEN THEY IMMEDIATELY SAID, WE’RE NOT INTERESTED. BUT THEY STILL HAVE NOT ALLOWED US TO MEET FACE TO FACE. READER UNDERSTANDS THAT THE CEMETERY IS LIKELY GOING TO DEMOLISH THE HOME. BUT HE’S BEGGING TO AT LEAST BE ALLOWED TO PHOTOGRAPH AND DOCUMENT ITS HISTORIC NATURE. WE JUST NEED THEM TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP INSIDE, TAKE A LOOK AT IT. MORE THAN WE’VE SEEN ON OTHER NEWS OUTLETS, BECAUSE THAT’S ALL WE’VE SEEN. HE SAYS THE CEMETERY HOPES TO HAVE IT TORN DOWN BY MEMORIAL DAY. BUT REEDER HOPES TO MAKE ONE FINAL IN-PERSON PLEA. WE BELIEVE THAT THE TIME FRAME TO JUST TEAR IT DOWN NOW IS UNNECESSARILY RUSHED. I KNOW THAT THEY’VE BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. BUT WE STILL AT LEAST JUST WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CEMETERY TODAY TOLD ME HE’S NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE HOME INSIDE IT.