Krejci buys Kush mansion for $1.6M
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BY ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star
GRETNA — Moments after the auctioneer sold the Rod Kush estate to bidder No. 8, Frank R. Krejci was swarmed by TV cameras and reporters.
“Am I a movie star?” he asked, a little surprised by the attention.
Not quite. But the 83-year-old owner of Century Development Co. in Elkhorn just bought a house and land befitting a movie star —or a former NFL football player.
Krejci’s winning bid for the 17-room mansion and 35 acres was $1.625 million.
At one time, Kush was asking $3.4 million for the estate.
Krejci said he will pay cash. Asked what he plans to do with the property, Krejci said: “I don’t know yet.”
But when pressed a little, he said he will donate the house to a charity, which he did not name, and develop the rest of the property.
The real estate developer believes there is “potential to make some money.”
Kush remained upstairs for most of the auction. He had already sold all of the furnishings, and the only personal item left behind was a bedroom ceiling fan with a Buffalo Bills logo. Kush played for the team in the early 80s.
The auction drew 12 registered bidders and just as many people who wanted a peek inside the mansion. People walked up and down the grand staircase and shot photographs inside and outside.
The auction eventually came down to two: Krejci and an unidentified bidder on the opposite side of the great room.
Furniture dealer Kush had set a minimum price of $1.6 million for the property, which includes the nearly 15,000-square-foot home, three-hole golf course, separate caretaker’s residence, 10,000-square-foot metal pole barn and hundreds of trees.
According to the Sarpy County assessor’s office, the property — including the mansion — is valued at about $2.27 million for tax purposes. The estate sits on the north edge of Gretna along U.S. 6.
Completed in 1997, the mansion features five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms; a six-car garage, half basketball court in the basement with a 20-foot ceiling, outdoor pool; lower-level bar; exercise room and sauna.
Chuck DeVetter, vice president of NAI NP Dodge Commercial, an Omaha real estate firm, said Kush decided to auction the house and property after a sale fell through.
The auctioneer, Scott Moore with CB Richard Ellis/MEGA, said Krejci has 30 days to close the deal.
The estate was offered in three separate parcels or as one complete parcel. Several buyers did bid on individual parcels but their sum total did not meet the $1.6 million minimum price.
Bidder Dixie Dunn of Papillion had her eye on the parcel that included the pole barn and 10 acres. She was scouting for her daughter, who wanted to locate her daycare center closer to Gretna.
Asked why she wasn’t interested in the house, Dunn replied: “I don’t want no part of it. It’s too big!”
Lee Camenzind, who lives north of Omaha, came to see what the property would bring. He’s in the market for an acreage.
“It’s nice. It’s way bigger than I need,” Camenzind said, adding that the mansion could house several families. “Impressive.”
Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 402-473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.
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