Omaha developments/news

[eomaha]

Trader Joe's coming to Omaha's One Pacific Place

Trader Joe's is scheduled to open its first Omaha location this year, the company announced Wednesday.

The neighborhood grocery store chain, whose Omaha arrival has been rumored for some time, confirmed that it will open a 13,000-square-foot store at One Pacific Place. It will be the company's first Nebraska store.

Company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said Trader Joe's was excited about coming into Omaha, but she declined to discuss why the company chose the market or how it picked the exact location.

Trader Joe's is known for its extensive array of imported and domestic foods.

[eomaha]

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/13/bes...10_lander.html

Props to Des Moines and Lincoln

1 Des Moines IA
2 Provo UT
3 Raleigh NC
4 Fort Collins CO
5 Lincoln NE
6 Denver CO
7 Omaha NE
8 Huntsville AL
9 Lexington KY
10 Austin TX

[eomaha]

Omaha's OTHER ballpark under construction... is a new 'right sized' stadium for the AAA baseball franchise (affiliate of the KC Royals)... located in Sarpy county. It will seat ~6,500 with grassy berms in the outfield for additional capacity. In the past, the ORoyals played in 25,000 seat Rosenblatt Stadium, a cavernous venue which made for a rather poor atmosphere. Moving from Rosenblatt to this new stadium will make tickets which were hard to GIVE away in the past... suddenly more difficult to obtain and in higher demand with the limited seating.

[eomaha]

More accolades...

Forbes: America's Most Livable Cities...

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/cit...ome_slide.html

1. Pittsburgh
2. Ogden, UT
3. Provo, UT
4. Ann Arbor, MI
5. Harrisburg, PA
6. Omaha
7. Manchester, NH
8. Trenton, NJ
9. Bridgeport, CT (tie)
9. Lincoln (tie)

[CastleScott]

^ Eomaha: I was just wondering if and when the Wall Tower will be built, with the economy improving a lil bit I thought that they'll start construction soon. Its still sad that the ole UP HQ had to go...

Scott

[ShawJ]

Originally Posted by CastleScott

^ Eomaha: I was just wondering if and when the Wall Tower will be built, with the economy improving a lil bit I thought that they'll start construction soon. Its still sad that the ole UP HQ had to go...

Scott

The project site continues to sit empty as a giant hole. There was an article about the project in the Omaha World Herald published last week.

Tower Back to Square One

It's not looking good. I almost wish that the project would be canceled to make room for a different potential proposal.

[Dariusb]

Wow! Omaha has a lot going on. How many people live in Omaha and the metro?

[eomaha]

City of Omaha : 438,646 Omaha metro : 837,925 1.2 million within 50 mile radius

[eomaha]

A row-house-style apartment project could replace a parking lot between Joslyn Art Museum and Creighton University.

Tetrad Development Corp. is proposing a $10 million project to build 82 apartments and a corner retail site northeast of 24th and Davenport Streets.
The Capitol Rows development is believed to be the first new private development proposal to emerge since Omaha adopted its downtown master plan last year.

Doug Bisson, an urban planner at HDR Inc. who led the creation of the downtown plan, said Capitol Rows is exactly the kind of project envisioned.

It would provide new housing downtown — one of the plan's key goals — and would do so in a neighborhood projected to develop into the Joslyn District. By repurposing parking lots, the project also would fulfill a goal of seizing small redevelopment opportunities.

“That's what we've always envisioned,” Bisson said. “Little by little, people are starting to find those neat opportunities.”

The project would be geared toward Creighton upperclassmen and graduate students, said Don Mohlman, president of Tetrad Development. It would have 60 one-bedroom apartments and 22 two-bedroom units — all renting at market rates, Mohlman said.

The buildings would be designed in an urban row house style. Two apartment buildings along 24th Street would be three stories high, and a building along Davenport Street would be four stories tall.

The developer would like to finish construction by late summer 2011. “We're quite excited about the project,” Mohlman said.

Tetrad Development is a subsidiary of Tetrad Corp., a development and construction services firm headed by W. David Scott, son of Omaha businessman and philanthropist Walter Scott.

America First Real Estate Group would manage the property. America First is a subsidiary of Burlington Capital Group, headed by Lisa Roskens, daughter of Omaha businessman and philanthropist Michael Yanney.

The project is going through the city approval process.

The Omaha Planning Board has signed off on the necessary zoning changes, land plats and a redevelopment plan that would provide the project with $765,000 in tax-increment financing, or the temporary use of new property taxes generated by the improvements to pay some of the project's costs.
The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on part of the plans on June 29.

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by eomaha

City of Omaha : 438,646 Omaha metro : 837,925 1.2 million within 50 mile radius

I had no idea that many people lived there. Thanks!

[eomaha]

Growing... slow and steady.

[eomaha]

Omaha's Rosenblatt stadium gets a little extra life as a football stadium!

Originally Posted by Omaha World Herald

It didn't take the Omaha Nighthawks long to make some United Football League history.

Team officials announced Tuesday that all 24,000 tickets for Friday's game against Hartford at Rosenblatt Stadium have been sold. It will mark the first time that a UFL game will be played before a sellout crowd.

“It doesn't surprise me because football is important in Nebraska,'' Nighthawks coach Jeff Jagodzinski said after Tuesday night's practice at Bryan Stadium.
“One of the reasons I came here, one of the reasons I wanted to coach this team, was that I knew it was going to be fun and that people would support us.''

Friday's crowd will set an attendance record for the 2-year-old league. The Hartford franchise, which relocated from New York, drew a regular-season record 14,384 for Saturday's first home game. The 2009 championship game between Florida and Las Vegas drew 14,801.

“We were assured when we first considered Omaha as an expansion market that there would be an unrivaled passion for our team, but the reaction to the Nighthawks has surpassed all our expectations,'' UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue said in a statement.

“The enthusiasm from fans who have bought season tickets in the thousands and the community's support for the Nighthawks is overwhelming.''
Huyghue will be on hand for Friday's opener.

“I look forward to witnessing the buzz of excitement when the game kicks off Friday night.''

Based on Tuesday's practice, the commissioner is not alone in his excitement for the opening game. The Nighthawks ran through a spirited 2½-hour practice under the lights at Bryan Stadium.

There was a little more hitting than usual, a few more bodies on the ground. The drills between offensive and defensive linemen were especially intense, with players on each side hooting and hollering whenever one of their own showed an advantage in the one-on-one blocking drills.

“We're a bit like a Thoroughbred just before a race,'' said Ted Sundquist, the Nighthawks' player personnel director. “You can sense the excitement.''
Defensive end Jay Moore agreed.

“We had a week off, and yesterday's practice was kind of a low-key one because of the field conditions at the Kroc Center,'' the former Husker said. “We had to take it easy on each other so no one would get hurt, but today we were on a fresh field and guys were flying around.

“It's game week, and usually when it's the first game, there is a fast tempo.''
Moore, from Elkhorn, and Ahman Green, the Omaha-born running back, have added reasons to be excited about Friday's game. The contest will be played in front of family, friends and fans who supported them at Nebraska.

“I know it's going to be exciting, and the crowd is going to be into it,'' Green said. “It's going to be fun out there, and it's going to be different because Rosenblatt usually in home to baseball. Now there's going to be football out there.

“I'm going to be playing before friends and family and people that know me from high school and college. That's very exciting to me.''

The first game can't come soon enough for Jagodzinski. The Nighthawks have been practicing since Aug. 21, then had to sit through a bye week as the league's other four teams opened the season last Saturday.

“You watched practice tonight, and there was a lot of energy out there,'' Jagodzinski said. “The guys are tired of practicing and they want to go play somebody. They're ready.''

• NOTES: Quarterback Jeff Garcia is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday. He missed the past two practices in order to remain with wife Carmella, who gave birth to the couple's third child, a boy, on Tuesday. ... The Nighthawks have added Keith Uecker to the coaching staff as the offensive line coach. Uecker played for a decade in the NFL with Denver and Green Bay. He spent the 2009 season in charge of offensive quality control at Ohio State. ... The Nighthawks have re-signed wide receiver Biren Ealy and waived defensive back Willie Andrews. Offensive lineman Matt Spanos and cornerback Terelle Maze, released by Omaha last week, have signed with Sacramento.

[min-chi-cbus]

As far as the most "livable cities" list.....what is Pittsburgh doing at #1? I know Pittsburgh is on a serious rebound and I'm very happy for the city, but in terms of livability I'd never consider it a top choice. I MUST be missing something! My cousin just moved from Pittsburgh to Arizona and now to S. Carolina, but she left Pitt because she simply couldn't stand living there, and she's from Chicago (a pretty similar type of environment).

[eomaha]

A few updates...

River Front Place II topped off




TD Ameritrade Park has grass (River Front Place towers visible beyond left field... Qwest Center convention center/arena beyond center... downtown out of fov to the right... skyline visible from 3rd base side)


It's big... I imagine the largest ballpark in the nation without a MLB team... in case anyone doesn't know the history... we've hosted the NCAA College World Series for some 50 years... just got a contract to host another -25- years in return for our building this stadium to host it.


Two big 'TD Ameritrade' projects going on... two tower cranes now erected in suburban Omaha 'Old Mill' area... with construction of their new headquarters well underway.

Newer rendering



In other news, Omahans are excited about the recent opening of it's first Trader Joe's as well.

Also, Midtown Crossing... has added a new Wohlner's grocery store.


Element by Westin


Numerous new restaurants... the area is really developing a vibe, all in what used to be an underutilized green space and surface parking lot.


Aksarben Village

New theater/entertainment/retail... new Blue Cross/Blue Shield offices in background



Capitol Rows currently under construction in the Park East area between downtown/midtown, north of the Creighton campus




Finally, because our AAA baseball franchise ownership decided TD Ameritrade was way too big for minor league baseball (I agree with him)... Sarpy County is building a minor league baseball sized ball park in the suburbs... running at about the same pace as TD Ameritrade, but on a much smaller scale... naming rights just awarded last week... 'Werner Park' (major sponsor being the large, Omaha based, trucking company, Werner Enterprises)

[eomaha]

An artist's rendering shows two new four-story buildings that will be built near the Livestock Exchange Building near 30th and L Streets. The project, which will be paid for largely with federal funds from the new health care law, will allow expansion of OneWorld Community Health Centers.

A historic South Omaha site once home to the world's largest livestock market is set to undergo yet another transformation to meet the needs of the day.

Two new four-story buildings — for health care services and senior citizen housing — will rise next year at the old Omaha Stockyards site near 30th and L Streets, thanks to an infusion of funds from the new federal health care law.

The buildings are part of an expansion of OneWorld Community Health Centers, which already leases the three lower floors of the historic Livestock Exchange Building.

The pair of brick structures will stand in the shadows of the 11-story Exchange Building, which also contains several floors of affordable family housing and two ballrooms.

Andrea Skolkin, chief executive officer, said that because of a lack of room, OneWorld each month has to turn away about 300 clients seeking same- or next-day appointments. The expansion will double its clinical space. And senior citizen housing, she said, will bring a more multi-generational flavor to the campus.

“It definitely will change the look of the area — I think in a good way,” said Skolkin.

While the need for affordable health care for the underinsured is driving the project, community leaders also are excited about the additional medical-related and construction jobs.

“It's good we're building,” said Duane Brooks, president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance. “All the way around it's a good deal.”

Funded primarily by a federal grant, the $15 million project marks the latest growth spurt of a 40-year-old health care center that has its roots in a part-time storefront clinic.

The Lutheran Church and Creighton University originally founded the free clinic for American Indians. Hispanics later were included. The facility was renamed the Indian Chicano Health Center and was moved to near 36th and Q Streets.
In 2005, the center (by then called OneWorld) expanded again — more than tripling its size by relocating to current quarters in the Livestock Exchange Building.

Today's focus remains on the uninsured, immigrants, the poor and the working poor. Services include health, dental, optometry, midwifery and behavioral health, and are provided on a sliding-fee scale.

When OneWorld moved into the Exchange Building five years ago, administrators thought they had room to grow. OneWorld had about 70 staff members at that time.

“But we're maxed out,” Skolkin said. Staff has grown to about 170. “That's been our history.”

Construction is to start in the late spring or early summer of 2011, with an estimated completion the following year. Once complete, the expanded OneWorld will have 64,000 additional square feet and the capacity to serve more than 33,000 patients a year, up from the 18,000 a year now served.

One of the new buildings will contain a women's health center. The other will house clinical care areas and administrative offices. Each of the buildings will have two floors of housing for senior citizens.

OneWorld's Women Infants and Children supplemental nutrition program (WIC), now situated a few blocks away, will move into the old administrative office area.

Monday, Sen. Ben Nelson and other dignitaries will be at OneWorld to talk about the capital project, paid for primarily through nearly $9 million in federal funds. The new health care law included funds to bolster services at clinics for low-income patients.

The remainder of the financing will come from the expected sale of Low Income Housing Tax Credits available because of the 32 units of senior housing.

Skolkin said state historic preservation officials signed off on the project, which will further transform the site of an old South Omaha landmark.
From 1955 to 1973, the Omaha Stockyards reigned as the busiest livestock market in the world. Business faded through the 1980s and 1990s, and the last of the pig pens and cattle stalls were demolished in 2001.

Only the Livestock Exchange Building, built in 1926, survived. A former city planning director called the edifice the most important historic building in Omaha.

The city bought the last 55 acres of the Stockyards in 1998, and spent millions turning it into the Stockyards Business Park.

Garry Gernandt, who represents the area on the Omaha City Council, said he recognizes that change, for many, is hard to accept. He said the demographics of South Omaha have evolved since the heyday of the Stockyards — and “we need to stay up with the times.”

“I've come to realize that you cherish the memories and you move on for the benefit of the good,” said Gernandt. “I think that is what is happening here.”

[ShawJ]

New hotel downtown?

A view with rooms

http://www.omaha.com/article/2011030...iew-with-rooms

Originally Posted by Maggie O'Brien
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Downtown is closer to getting a second convention hotel near the Qwest Center Omaha.

With the expansion of the Hilton Omaha set to be finished by year's end, the president of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority says he's in talks with a hotel developer about building a new hotel on the former Pinnacle Foods site.

“We've got a very seriously interested party,” said MECA President Roger Dixon, who declined to name the developer. “But we are at the very earliest starting point.”

[/quote]

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No specifics yet, but hopefully we'll see a little bit of height. There have been a lot of rumors about this project for a while.

[bigcitydude]

that is the coolest pedestrian bridge i have ever seen!! and we have a couple here in Edmonton, only just straight and boring.

[CastleScott]

I sure hope they still build that condo tower that was planned on the old UP HQ site (I believe was 32 floors at 373 feet high).

[ShawJ]

Originally Posted by CastleScott

I sure hope they still build that condo tower that was planned on the old UP HQ site (I believe was 32 floors at 373 feet high).

Unfortunately that project is dead. Would have been nice.

[RaRaOmaha]

Technically not Omaha, but this development will be located in La Vista a suburb of Omaha directly adjacent.

Cordish Co., the same company that developed The Power and Light District as well as 25 other major developments throughout the country has released plans to create a 114 million dollar out;et and entertainment destination directly off of I-80. 300,000 sq feet of retail with the promise of high end outlet shops and a 60,000 sq foot entertainment area.






Also recently announced is a plan to revamp Crossroads Mall in the middle of the city. Crossroads like many malls has become an empty shell with almost no stores open other than the three anchors.

The main "mall" portion will be torn down and a "main street" will be built through the existing land. They are hoping to create an entertainment/shopping district that that intersection deserves. It is being directed toward the college students in the area and will be called University Village(I am not excited about that part).