Official: Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge

[eomaha.com]

Boy... I never thought this was a possible scenario... bids twice what the budget called for. It will be devastating if this project dies. I believe even One Renaissance Center is counting on this heavily.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=1636&u_sid=1026037

[nebrwesleyan]

I am willing to bet that someone in the city will step foward and give a large some of money, such as Buffet, Scott, or anyone esle. Maybe even a big company. This will solve two dilemmas at one time. We will make up the difference and who ever donates will most likely get their name on it. I beleive this is in the best interest of the bridge anyway. I would love to have a local name on it forever. It also might be possible that this was supposed to happen. Could it have been planned? We will see

[guy4omaha]

This announcement is definitely a downer. I hope someone somehow steps up and fills the gap. But I think the community will probably choose to scale it back. Just like we did with the arena on the convention center. Just like we did with the Convention Center Hotel.

The bridge is a breathtaking design. Hopefully this is one time that Omaha chooses to keep the dream alive. This bridge can be the just the beginning of more great things to come.

[jiminomaha]

I was really troubled with the news of the Pedestrian Bridge--I have no faith that some private investor will step foward. More likely, the bridge will be scaled down significantly from "impressive" to "pretty neat." The bridge was going to be the "crowning jewl" of the new Riverfront. Something that would really "wow" people, both locals and visitors from out of town. I know not everything is built, and the landscaping isn't totally done, but currently the new riverfront is still kind of dull looking. The bridge had the potential to elevate the riverfront development from just another riverfront development--as many cities are doing--to being something pretty spectacular--a "wow" factor.
I don't think the city should let $20 million stand in the way of doing the riverfront right. You got about a half to a billion dollars worth of development going on down there--I would hate to see $20 million keep it from being magnificent to just being "so-so." And without that bridge, that is how visitors will view the development, as "so-so."

[StreetsOfOmaha]

This is indeed, very surprising news.

However, I have faith that the project will not die.

City leaders realize the value of this project, in its current design, not scaled back. Hopefully, they will find a person or company to make the difference and be the bridge's namesake. I'd be willing to wait a longer amount of time for funds to be raised privately, rather than settle for some scaled back design.

We're just going to have to wait it out.

[Coyote]

One Renaissance is now placed in limbo:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=1636&u_sid=1028683

as would the timing for the park development on the Iowa river banks.
I sure to hope someone comes up with funding.
Or if Peter Kiewit (Walter Scott) puts in a low bid.

[sokkerdewd]

A bridge will happen, one way or another...the city leaders would be incredibly stupid to let approved financing of about $20 million in intergovernmental revenue walk away from them...even if they have to go with a "scaled back" design.

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[eomaha.com]

True... but it will be a real tragedy if its masts and rigging are cut.

[Brad]

I think that the bridge was a great idea and the design was very interesting, its too bad that it might not happen. On the other hand I remember all of the proposals and I remember two or three other designs that were very good also, is there a chance that any of these might be considered if they cost less.

[eomaha.com]

Development page: http://www.eomaha.com/gallery/develop/4/

From the World Herald

The stylish proposed pedestrian bridge across the Missouri River won a show of confidence Tuesday, with designers and government officials renewing their commitment to the project.

"We believe the bridge can be built for a reasonable cost," said Linda Figg, president of Figg Bridge Co. "Our estimates were where they should be."

Construction companies reached a different conclusion when the apparent low bid from Fru-Con Construction Corp. of Longmont, Colo., came in at $44.9 million - nearly twice the $22.6 million estimate by the Figg company, which helped design the bridge. Only two firms submitted bids.

During a City Hall meeting, it was determined that the Figg company will be given a month to figure out why the bids came in so high and suggest any design changes.

But the key elements of the design - particularly the twin towers with cables creating a signature statement across the Missouri - will remain intact, said Linda Figg, who is based in Tallahassee, Fla.

While there was speculation that the rise in steel prices was a major factor in the bids, Figg officials concluded that the cost of steel might explain $2 million of the difference but no more.

The meeting was attended by officials representing Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa and Nebraska roads departments, federal transportation agencies and Figg.

By the time the group meets again in early May, Figg will have conferred with all five companies that were certified to bid on the project, including Omaha-based Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc., to find out why the bids were so far off from the estimate.

"We are committed to delivering the bridge people are expecting within a reasonable cost," Figg said.

She said the firm is confident in its ability to price bridge projects correctly, as it has throughout the nation.

Omaha Parks Director Larry Foster was unsure whether the delay caused by the unsuccessful initial bids will amount to a few months or a year or more. That will depend on how extensive the changes are to the initial design, Foster said.

Once a new final design is completed, possibly in June, federal officials will have to determine if the changes will trigger a new environmental impact analysis.

If the bids had come in at the $22.6 million estimate, the schedule called for completing the bridge in the summer of 2006. That date is a secondary concern now, Foster said.

"We are more interested in getting the right solution," he said. "We expect something all of us are proud of."

[edsas]

Great that those involved are committed to making this happen despite the bids. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach when I heard that the bridge may be scaled down. It still may, but I find it reassuring that "the key elements of the design - particularly the twin towers with cables creating a signature statement across the Missouri - will remain intact".

If the steel prices aren't the cause of the high bids, what could it be? As impressive as the bridge looks -- it still looks like a $23 million bridge. Not a $44 million one. Doesn't it?

[sokkerdewd]

I'll be the first to admit I have no idea what goes into the price estimate for a bridge, but it's good to see that the bids/estimate are going through a reconsiliation process. Hopefully they won't have to do another environmental impact review (the feds aren't known for speed) and this can still be open by 2006 or 2007. I'd like to see/use it before I potentially move. (I graduate next summer from UNO's MPA program...hopefully I can get a likable job.)

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[StreetsOfOmaha]

The article certainly is reasuring.

One thing I can't possibly FATHOM, is why Kiewit didn't bid?!!!!

In fact, I think they should not only bid on the original design, but bid it at the estimated $23 million dollars as a service to the city. You know? Sort of like a donation.

[edsas]

This story is promising as it indicates the Omaha condo towers will go up regardless of what happens to the ped bridge. The Council Bluffs condos, on the other hand, will not be constructed without the ped pridge.



Bridge or no, Omaha condos still a go

BY C. DAVID KOTOK



WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Riverfront Place, the 105-unit Omaha condo development along the Missouri River, will be unaffected by the uncertainty over the look and completion date for the pedestrian bridge.

Any delays in construction of the pedestrian bridge, however, could temporarily halt a 110-condo tower planned for the base of the bridge on the Council Bluffs side of the river.

Plans for the bridge were thrown into disarray Friday when the construction bids came in at nearly twice the $22.6 million estimate.

Perhaps no project is more closely tied to the bridge than the combination of high-rise condos and three-story townhouses planned for the base of the pedestrian bridge on the Omaha side.

Riverfront Place was designed to fit in with the futuristic suspension bridge. Plans called for the first of two condo towers to open almost simultaneously with the bridge's early 2006 ribbon cutting.

The out-of-town condo developers have no plans to hold off or pull back, said Loretta Carroll, the local spokeswoman for the project.

More detailed drawings for the prime six-acre site between the Gallup University Campus and the base of the bridge are nearing completion, she said. A timetable could be ready by the middle of this week, she said.

"Over 300 people have expressed an interest," Carroll said, "and have asked to be kept informed."

Jim Riskowski - who heads Signa Development, which is promoting the Bluffs project - said One Renaissance Center was always timed to be completed in conjunction with the bridge.

The development of a public park with a lake, trails and other amenities on the west side of the river levee, in turn, is tied to the development of the One Renaissance project.

The casino-funded Iowa West Foundation has pledged $4 million toward the park's development, dependent on the condos being built, said Jerry Mathiasen, the foundation's associate director.

The foundation also put $500,000 toward work now under way to clear brush and dead trees from the area. That work will fit in with long-range city plans for the riverfront.

The One Renaissance developers must provide the City of Council Bluffs a guarantee of financing for their first condo tower by May 1, said Matt Buchanan of the Pottawattamie County Development Corp.

If they don't, the city could buy back the property, which is part of Playland Park. The city also could grant the developers an extension of the agreement.

Overall, however, plans to someday transform the Missouri's east bank into a riverfront park won't be affected by changes in the pedestrian bridge's timeline, said Ron Hopp, city parks director.

Currently, there is no timetable - or funding - for many of the future amenities laid out in the city's riverfront master plan. One element is a restored river chute that would have an outlet a half-mile north of the pedestrian bridge.

With the apparent low bid of $44.9 million, officials declined to speculate on whether the bridge would have to be totally redesigned and how long it would be delayed.

They did say the bids will be rejected because there simply isn't another $20 million to give bicyclists and pedestrians such an elaborate connection between Omaha and Council Bluffs.

Omaha city officials and private architects are beginning the process of figuring out why the bids were so far off the estimates.

"We're just beginning the discussion of where we go from here," said City Parks Director Larry Foster.

George Haecker, the Omaha architect on the project, said he has started the analysis of the difference between the bids and the estimated cost.

A subsidiary of Peter Kiewit Sons Inc. was qualified to bid on the project but did not submit documents.

Tom Janssen, a spokesman, said the company doesn't discuss its reasons for bidding or not bidding on a project because doing so could be seen as violating antitrust regulations.

[eomaha.com]

Although it's interesting that land preparation has obviously been underway for some time now at Playland Park... with a Signa Development trailer prominently displayed.

[edsas]

You know what, Jeff, my mistake. Bad editorializing on my part. The article says in the second papragraph that the Council Bluffs condos will be temporarily put on hold. I shouldn't have said they were absolutely contingent on the construction of the bridge. They do want to coordinate the opening of their first tower with the opening of the bridge, though.

[sokkerdewd]

Looks as if they're making every effort to build this thing...even if it does include gutting it. On a brighter note, the other two bridges appear to be nice...I'll have to make a trip down there to see for myself.

Published Friday
May 7, 2004

Bridge designers look to cut cost

BY MICHAEL O'CONNOR



WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A company that helped design a proposed pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River is preparing recommendations on how to cut the cost of the project, City Parks Director Larry Foster said Thursday.

Significant changes in how the bridge would be constructed are possible.

Foster said the recommendations are expected in early June for the bridge, which would be built between Omaha and Council Bluffs.

Figg Bridge Co. is developing the recommendations to address a big gap between the expected cost of the bridge and the low bid.

Figg helped design the bridge and developed a $22.6 million estimate.

The apparent low bid from Fru-Con Construction Corp. of Longmont, Colo., came in earlier this spring at $44.9 million.

A key element of the design was twin towers with cables creating a signature statement across the Missouri.

Asked if those twin towers would remain, Foster said it's too early to speculate on design issues.

The Figg company, as it tried to figure out why there was a large gap between the estimate and the low bid, conferred with all five companies that were certified to bid on the project.

During a City Hall meeting Thursday, Figg representatives said there were a number of tentative construction changes that are being reviewed, Foster said.

These include footings and foundations for the bridge and bridge approaches.

Some of the contractors said construction of the footings and foundation would be much more complicated than originally anticipated, Foster said.

Also, the bridge's cable design would be complicated to construct, which adds to the project's cost, Foster said.

The rising price of steel and the instability of the steel market also contributed to gap between the estimate and the bid, Foster said.

Thursday's meeting included officials representing Omaha, Council Bluffs and local, state and federal transportation agencies.

Published Thursday
May 6, 2004

Oh, the view from the new bridges

BY C. DAVID KOTOK



WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Mary Ann Beck's lunchtime power walks are suddenly more breathtaking, and it's not because of the flowering trees or a stepped-up pace.

"It's a beautiful view along the river," Beck said of what she sees from a new bridge joining Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing.


The new pedestrian bridge between Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing.

For downtown workers trying to burn off calories during the lunch hour, two small pedestrians bridges have further opened Omaha's expanding waterfront.

The Heartland bridge officially opens Friday.

But the downtown walking crowd already has begun using it, along with the Martin Luther King Jr. pedestrian bridge linking the new Omaha Arena to Lewis & Clark Landing.

The bridges allow walkers to avoid traffic from Gene Leahy Mall under 10th Street to Heartland of America Park, over to Lewis & Clark Landing, on to the arena plaza before stopping at the intersection of 10th Street and Capitol Avenue.

"They make for a nice lunchtime walk," said Beck, who spends her hour break from her job at First National Bank on the move.

The $1.4 million Heartland bridge and the $3 million King bridge help form a 11/2- to two-mile loop from downtown offices.

"It's nice to get something for our tax dollars," said Lynn Andrews as he kept up with two other Union Pacific workers.

Pedestrian bridges
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


THE WORLD-HERALD
Click to enlarge



Both bridges provide safe routes over railroad tracks and streets.

"Not that we don't like railroad tracks," said Steve Loyd, another U.P. worker.

Without the newest pedestrian bridge, the 31-acre Heartland of America Park, owned by the Douglas County, would have remained detached from the city-owned 22-acre Lewis & Clark Landing.

Kent Holm, who is in charge of Douglas County parks, said the wood and metal bridge will make Heartland more of a destination. From September until April, Holm said, Heartland can be "a desolate place."

People had to make their own path away from the river, across streets and tracks to get from one park to the other. The bridge not only makes the walk safer, it also provides an open view of the bend in the Missouri River.

The canopies over parts of the bridge provide protection from debris coming off Interstate 480.

The Martin Luther King Jr. bridge, which was named by the City Council, is as modern as the Heartland bridge is rustic. The zinc-coated steel expanse, dotted with red umbrellas, recently was recognized by the American Galvanizers Association for its "clean appearance."

The King bridge leads to and from the plaza at the upper entrance to the arena. From there, walkers can pause to take in the full vista of the new riverfront development.

Beck approves but isn't totally satisfied: "I'm looking forward to the bridge over to Iowa."

That pedestrian bridge, planned to cross the Missouri north of Lewis & Clark Landing, was put on hold after construction bids came in $20 million higher than the $23 million estimated cost.


Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom

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[DMRyan]

As I've said earlier, if they build a stripped down version of this thing, make it compatible for future add-ons like the spires and wires.

[Admin]

Unfortunately spires aren't generally a cosmetic feature... it's either going to be a spire suspended bridge... or it won't be. I guess if we could somehow get something at least similar to what Des Moines is getting, I'd be happy (altough given the scale of the Missouri... perhaps this isn't even feasible at the budgeted cost).

[StreetsOfOmaha]

This is absolute bull ***. I think the city needs to do everything in its power to ensure that the original design gets built.

Further...I still contend that Keiwit (one of Omaha's five Fortune 500 companies, and a world class construction company...HELLO!) should build the bridge for its original design and consider the rest a philanthropic donation to the city.

[Admin]

That's what I was thinking... but who knows what all politics are at work behind the scenes here.

[eomaha.com]

Twin spires remain in redesign of bridge
From the World Herald...

The twin spires remain the visual centerpiece of a less-costly pedestrian bridge spanning the Missouri River, based on a proposed redesign that was presented Wednesday to local officials.

The plans for the bridge that would link Omaha's new riverfront to Council Bluffs parks and trails came to a crashing halt in March, when bids came in at $44.9 million - double the estimated cost.

The modern design - with its gently curving span and steel cables coming off suspension towers resembling sails in the wind - had been touted as Omaha's answer to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

The towers weren't sacrificed when Figg Bridge Co., based in Tallahassee, Fla., tried to correct the problems that drove up the costs well beyond the $22.6 million available for the project.

"Essentially, the bridge is very much the same," Omaha Parks Director Larry Foster said.

It might look the same from a distance, but think plastic instead of stainless steel. The switch in materials for the cables that stretch from the towers to the bridge platform will be made of a plastic that resembles stainless steel.

Some changes to the approaches on both sides of the river also were made. Fewer - but thicker - cables will be used.

The need to adjust the design and analyze the expense will delay the project by a year, Foster said. The opening of the bridge, initially planned for the summer of 2006, is now expected to happen by the summer of 2007.

Two major condominium developments planned near the bridge base in Omaha and in Council Bluffs also seem to have slipped behind schedule.

Originally, Riverfront Place on the Nebraska bank and One Renaissance Center behind the Iowa levee were projected to open their first condo towers about the time of the bridge completion.

After the bridge bids were rejected, construction executives told Figg that the project was much more complicated, particularly the footings and foundations for the twin-spired design.

Bridge plans began in 2000, after then-Sen. Bob Kerrey landed a total of nearly $19 million in federal funds. State governments in Nebraska and Iowa put up $1.5 million each, and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District committed $1 million.

[DTO Luv]

|expletive| YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm glad someone realized the spires were what we needed almost as much as the bridge. Omahans just took a big step forward showing that we need a visble icon for the city. I just hope the plastic doesn't look to plasticy. OH who cares as long as we have the spires. [/b]

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[jays25ks]

Thank God we got it!
I didn't want another Marriot Hotel disaster to happen.

[guy4omaha]

Fantastic news to see this project may be back on track. The design is very much the same to my naked untrained eye. Hopefully this means that the condo plans get back on track too.

As far as the plastic thing goes... Wow a plastic bridge or at least cables. I am sure these engineers know what they're doing. Right? Plastics I have used in the past (albeit on projects other than bridges) have always been weakened by exposure to sunlight and temperature changes.

Go Omaha Riverfront. Hey you know since I have been too busy to post for awhile... I don't think I have mentioned that we should build the Lormung Lo canals and entertainment district. :wink:

[DTO Luv]

What is that canal/entertainment district thing.

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[jiminomaha]

I was fearing the worst, the the pedestrain bridge would be changed to nothing more than an extra long version of the bridge currently connecting Heartland of America Park to Lewis and Clark Landing. So I am hopeful again that a magnificent and beautiful bridge will actually be built. I am keeping my fingers crossed though that the new design doesn't get rejected in a second round of bidding. This bridge is the thing that will turn the Omaha Riverfront from being "just another development" to somehing "magnificent." If this bridge is built and looks close to the original proposal, it will be the most significant structure ever built in Omaha's history. This bridge will make or break the Omaha Riverfront. Why? Because without it the Iowa side will never be developed to its full potential. Without it the area will see hundreds of tourists, instead of thousands, excluding special occasions. Magnificent bridges are like icons, they draw people, they draw locals, they draw tourists, they draw events. The Missouri River doesn't hold a candle to attraction appeal of a great bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge are as much icons as Times Square or Chinatown. If this bridge becomes a reality, mark this day in the anals of Omaha history as one of the most significant in the cities history.

[edsas]

Yay! Great news.

The plastic makes me a little leery, but I'll reserve judgement until it's built.

I wonder if the amphitheater in the coil of the Nebraska base is still part of the plan. I always though that was a nice touch and would be a great spot to see an outdoor play.

[eomaha.com]

The coil is still in the plan... I suspect an amphitheatre could be added in later if need be. The plastic coatings will obviously cover cheaper steel cables which could rust. So I don't know if that means a re-coating several years down the road... or what. Hopefully the Florida bridge engineers are taking into account the Nebraska extremes.

Here are more details... I wonder if the fourth item doesn't impact the One Renaissance Center.

• Fewer cables lead from the towers to the concrete bridge.
• The cables will be constructed with a plastic coating rather than stainless steel.
• An elevator to increase bridge access on the Nebraska side has been eliminated, but the spiral walkway remains.
• The bridge's landing in Iowa has been shortened, dropping into the planned park rather than traveling a quarter-mile inland to the Council Bluffs levee.

Other cost cuts could come with the selection of lighting, railings and coloring, Haecker said. The redesign was an attempt to keep the outstanding features while cutting items that could be added back in the future, he said.

[Minneapolis Boy]

Excellent! I'm glad the bridge is back on track. I too hope the plastic coating is adequate. This is awesome news along with the Beebe & Runyan Condo announcement. GO O!