Omaha Forums

From North Downtown's Facebook:
"You are invited to an informational meeting & discussion regarding the proposed site plan for the 15th & Cuming Street property. TODAY - 5:30pm - Hampton Inn - 1212 Cuming Street."

Anyone know what this is?

Hawkeye wrote:

you guessed it.  They're finally going to get it built

There's a forum member I haven't seen for a while.

Very interested in this.

Yeah, I read the forum quite frequently, but just haven't had occasion to post much lately.

So all joking aside, what was the big site plan proposal that was discussed this evening??

here you go...(from Omaha.com)

Place-holder plan envisions brighter future

Jeffrey Robb WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:But NewStreet LLC’s plans — a private park and event space at 15th and Cuming Streets — is meant to be a place holder for a larger development in the future.

Hopes continue to run high that north downtown will attract its next major business or commercial development. The plan for “The Yard,” however, acknowledges the difficult economy and reflects that the growing district has yet to reach a critical mass of development.

Jerry Banks, NewStreet’s portfolio director, said the economy needs to establish more certainty before the company would consider a retail, office or residential project. Banks said he also wants north downtown to mature more and establish more of a development pattern to show what the neighborhood needs.

nebport5 wrote:here you go...(from Omaha.com)

Place-holder plan envisions brighter future

A gated piece of grass that you can't go on.
Wow.

Wohoo! More random green space downtown!

Oh, come on! They were very reasonable and logical as to why that piece of land is not currently in hot commodity. It's not parking, it's not a WST hole in the ground, and they seem to have every intent for a "significant commercial development" in the future.

They were 100% responsible and even respected the neighborhood enough to allow them into their meetings.

That said, I think you'll find downtown demand for multi-tenant residential will grow substantially as people continue to sit on the fence waiting for the housing market to hit rock bottom. So, there is a decent chance of that property finding a "substantial" project sooner than later...

S33 wrote:Oh, come on! They were very reasonable and logical as to why that piece of land is not currently in hot commodity. It's not parking, it's not a WST hole in the ground, and they seem to have every intent for a "significant commercial development" in the future.

They were 100% responsible and even respected the neighborhood enough to allow them into their meetings.

That said, I think you'll find downtown demand for multi-tenant residential will grow substantially as people continue to sit on the fence waiting for the housing market to hit rock bottom. So, there is a decent chance of that property finding a "substantial" project sooner than later...

agreed...good points.  i just hope the "substantial" project doesn't turn out to be another hotel or whatever can flip the quickest profit.

They could have just covered it in gravel and charged $10 to park there for two weeks a year...  I would rather see this "place holder" than nothing.  I have seen the plans and its more than a piece of grass during the CWS.  Granted its not 5 story mixed, but it will be an attraction.

The way they made it sound was that something more substantial was going to happen NOW.  I appreciate the fore sight, just had expectations for another project in the area.

Just to inspire potential development parties...

i like your style.

I see this as a positive.  The fact that there is some foresight and this is actually planned as a placeholder is a good thing.  It's a whole lot better than a quick fast-food drive-through or something that would make a quick return but prevent any positive long-term development.

I saw the plans a few weeks ago.  It is a tent city for corporate sponsors of the CWS.  Make a ton of money in two weeks, and the rest of the year it is grass.  Fenced off grass.  Currently, much needed parking for the Holiday Inn, Brandeis Downtown Tip Top Ballroom and Barley's and Alley-Poyner is on part of that space, and it will be gone.  This will do nothing for North Downtown.

OmahaChef wrote:I saw the plans a few weeks ago.  It is a tent city for corporate sponsors of the CWS.  Make a ton of money in two weeks, and the rest of the year it is grass.  Fenced off grass.  Currently, much needed parking for the Holiday Inn, Brandeis Downtown Tip Top Ballroom and Barley's and Alley-Poyner is on part of that space, and it will be gone.  This will do nothing for North Downtown.

But pay the taxes for a few years...

According to a story just on wowt at six, "The Yard" as its called would need City Council AND NCAA Approval.

Brad wrote:According to a story just on wowt at six, "The Yard" as its called would need City Council AND NCAA Approval.

Why on earth would they need NCAA approval so far away?

justnick wrote:

Brad wrote:According to a story just on wowt at six, "The Yard" as its called would need City Council AND NCAA Approval.

Why on earth would they need NCAA approval so far away?

WOWT:

At Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting, officials learned the NCAA has to be informed. According to the 25 year contract with the city, the College World Series Inc. says NCAA gets to decide what they want to see around the stadium.

Uhh I did not know about that part of the deal.

iamjacobm wrote:
WOWT:

At Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting, officials learned the NCAA has to be informed. According to the 25 year contract with the city, the College World Series Inc. says NCAA gets to decide what they want to see around the stadium.

Uhh I did not know about that part of the deal.

Holy bullshit, batman.

Who elected them King of North Downtown?  I think the Council is the only one elected to make that call.

Really.  This is b*** sh**.

Clean zone’ puts project on hold

Worried that its plans for a “clean zone” might get tainted, College World Series Inc. has won a delay in a private developer’s plans for an event space one block from the new north downtown home of the series.

Wednesday, the Omaha Planning Board granted a 30-day delay in considering the plans, but not before one board member got an assurance that CWS officials were not trying to constrain free enterprise.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100902/N ... ct-on-hold

This is what happens when people rush to sell out to the NCAA.  Good thing we jumped to name a street after Fahey a few hours after he left office.

Wow, this is a big deal. So say a developer comes in and wants to put in $300M into those 4 blocks with hotels, retail, and a huge entertainment zone ala Citywalk, and the NCAA can block it if they don't like the number of bars in it???? Also, within a mile??? The NCAA could block a new bar on the riverfront???? That's crazy.

the1wags wrote:Also, within a mile??? The NCAA could block a new bar on the riverfront???? That's crazy.

Get on Google Earth and draw a one mile circle.... that would go from I480 to almost I29 in council bluffs and from the railroad tracks on the south side of the old Market up to darn near Locust street (carter lake)....

Basically they are saying the NCAA has control over all of Downtown Omaha including the Old Market?

I would bet a lot of money the city is not happy this fact got out.  I am kind of speechless after finding this out.

Anyone still think there's going to be tailgating in the parking lots?

My original understanding was that the "clean zone" was to stop the [on-site] tailgating and tent vendors/alcohol sales.

I think there is a misunderstanding about the 1 mile radius. IF that were the case, the Capitol District would have had to of sought approval from the NCAA to move forward. I would bet it's a 1 block radius.

S33 wrote:My original understanding was that the "clean zone" was to stop the [on-site] tailgating and tent vendors/alcohol sales.

I think there is a misunderstanding about the 1 mile radius. IF that were the case, the Capitol District would have had to of sought approval from the NCAA to move forward. I would bet it's a 1 block radius.

But if it were a one block, this is still technically two blocks away. What an insanely disappointing side effect of the stadium we have stumbled into.

S33 wrote:My original understanding was that the "clean zone" was to stop the [on-site] tailgating and tent vendors/alcohol sales.

I really think that much of the whole process, of closing Rosenblatt and building a new stadium downtown was due to NCAA's (and others'?) agenda to control the amount of and visibility of alcohol during the tournament.

justnick wrote:

S33 wrote:My original understanding was that the "clean zone" was to stop the [on-site] tailgating and tent vendors/alcohol sales.

I think there is a misunderstanding about the 1 mile radius. IF that were the case, the Capitol District would have had to of sought approval from the NCAA to move forward. I would bet it's a 1 block radius.

But if it were a one block, this is still technically two blocks away. What an insanely disappointing side effect of the stadium we have stumbled into.

True. I supported the new stadium process throughout, however, I don't ever remember the city divulging the specifics of the clean zone other than the obvious tailgating and temp bars. Nice to know a Omaha would allow a collegiate sports association dictate development in arguably the most important district in the entire state of Nebraska.

Omababe wrote: I really think that much of the whole process, of closing Rosenblatt and building a new stadium downtown was due to NCAA's (and others'?) agenda to control the amount of and visibility of alcohol during the tournament.

If they limit the outdoor drinking to prevent a drunk fest like you see along 13th, then I can understand. However, requiring approval for indoor business in the stadium area is definitely in contrast to free enterprise, either way you look at it.

Lovely. I would have liked to have seen the city play hardball with the NCAA during the stadium planning. I think they could have made accommodations for the Royals to play there (that's another story) but I don't understand what right the NCAA has to dictate what is built on someone elses private property. At least it's not a mosque.

NDT is pretty much f*cked. Now that I work in that part of town and see a lot of the inner workings of the area I don't see it taking off even years down the road. Even though it's technically DT, it is far too suburban in nature to ever come close to being truly urban like DT south of 480. I don't see the Qwest lots ever being replaced. I would bet my first born that they won't even consider plans to replace the lots in my own lifetime and I'm 24. I really feel for the Saddle Creek guys. Luckily they offer something unique so they could be self sustaining even in a stagnant area. However, long term...???

Not that anyone knows what they really want because there are no official "rules" yet.  But it sounds like they won't be opposed to year round facilities, they just don't want tents around the new stadium.  They can't stop drinking because there are already hundreds of places in that one mile loop.  I am guessing they are more concerned with tents set up across the street selling T-Shirts that the NCAA doesn't make a penny off of when the NCAA is trying to sell very similar shirts inside the stadium making all the money.  I still think that NewStreet will building something awesome when the economy turns around.

Ok, everyone just calm the heck down.  The City wanted this project layed over regardless of CWS Incs request.  Second, the clean zone will have some inpact on how this site would look during the CWS but not on whether or not it exists at all.  Next, the one mile radius was simply for notification of development that may impact the series and has subsequently been reduced because one mile is a darn long way away in terms of whether the CWS would ever even notice.  Lastly, and most importantly, neither the NCAA or CWS Inc. gets to approve or disprove anything.  They can weigh in if they'd like, like anyone else, and sure, CC may bow to them the way they are liable to do so to any other important types, but they don't get a vote or a veto.  


There, feel better?  

I wonder how the tear down of the Aero building will tie in with the possibility of this development.  Guess, we should know in a few weeks when it goes before the planning board.  

The Yard gets 4-3 approval

The Omaha Planning Board voted 4-3 to approve a conditional use permit to allow a private, gated event space to be built at 15th and Cuming Streets. The board's vote is final. Conditional permits don't go to the City Council for a vote.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20101007/NEWS01/710079851

This space is complete BS, those council members should be getting a pretty sweet membership to this two week clubhouse.