Omaha Forums

Baker's Blondo (72 and Blondo)

I noticed last night that they tore down part of the old baker's on 72 and Blondo.  Any idea whats going on there.  I heard the building was being used as storage, but I am not sure.  The sign says available for sub-lease.

The whole building has now been leveled.  Still not sure whats going on.  I hope they remove the retaining wall too!

Surprising. You would have figured that someone could have used that building.

Bosco55David wrote:Surprising. You would have figured that someone could have used that building.

No, it was a |expletive| hole.  I worked there for 5 years when it was bakers.  It was a building that was hit by a tornado, rebuilt, and added on to 4 times.  IT was a total mess.  It was a fire hazard too, back when it was bakers.

Brad wrote:

Bosco55David wrote:Surprising. You would have figured that someone could have used that building.

No, it was a |expletive| hole.  I worked there for 5 years when it was bakers.  It was a building that was hit by a tornado, rebuilt, and added on to 4 times.  IT was a total mess.  It was a fire hazard too, back when it was bakers.

My dad was taking shelter from the tornado in a gas station right across the street when the tornado hit the original building. From what he told me, the building completely imploded. I'd love to find some old pictures of the damage.

I didn't know about the building being in such poor shape though.

Wasn't this the first location that CVS had originally planned on when they announced their entry into Omaha?

Maybe that is still the plan.  As for the wall, there was a story on.... either KETV or WOWT that had said that once the bridge is finished that the wall would be done by the owner of the building.

Bosco55David wrote:

Brad wrote:

Bosco55David wrote:Surprising. You would have figured that someone could have used that building.

No, it was a |expletive| hole.  I worked there for 5 years when it was bakers.  It was a building that was hit by a tornado, rebuilt, and added on to 4 times.  IT was a total mess.  It was a fire hazard too, back when it was bakers.

My dad was taking shelter from the tornado in a gas station right across the street when the tornado hit the original building. From what he told me, the building completely imploded. I'd love to find some old pictures of the damage.

I didn't know about the building being in such poor shape though.

Here's a website that has a lot of good info and articles about the '75 tornado....I don't know if it's been posted here before. Wow, your dad was near ground zero....luck he survived.

http://www.shayden.com/_Omaha5675/home.htm

I'm glad to see that Bakers go. Hopefully something decent will take it's place

GetUrban wrote:Here's a website that has a lot of good info and articles about the '75 tornado....I don't know if it's been posted here before. Wow, your dad was near ground zero....luck he survived.

http://www.shayden.com/_Omaha5675/home.htm

I'm glad to see that Bakers go. Hopefully something decent will take it's place

You posted that link in your very first post on this site actually. It's a great site and was glad to see someone put the time into creating a historical resource for those of us who are interested.  :mrgreen:

Yes, my dad was very lucky to survive that. At the time my mom was working for AT&T up on 78th and Crown Point and my dad was on his way home from taking her to work when he ran into the storm. Initially he just thought it was a thunderstorm until the tornado was almost on top of him. It dropped a power line on the hood of his car which is when he took shelter in the gas station.

Hi Everyone,

I am very new to this forum and this is my very first post. The above link has lots of info about Omaha. Visited and found the truth of Baker's Blondo (72 and Blondo). I was also surprised with its removal. That building was a storage but have no idea why they have leveled it down.  :mrgreen:

Land cleared at former Baker's site

http://www.omaha.com/article/20101124/M ... ker-s-site

Steve Jordon WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:An Omaha real estate company is clearing the land occupied by a former Baker’s Supermarket at 72nd and Blondo Streets, preparing the way for future commercial use of the property.

AdvertisingJeff Keating, a vice president with PDM Inc., said Tuesday that the company hired a demolition firm to remove the building, concrete and asphalt parking lot, light poles and other fixtures and to regrade the site.

The work likely will be done by Christmas, he said, and next spring the ground will be seeded.

Steve Jordon WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Keating said PDM could sell the 4.83 acres at a yet-undetermined price, erect buildings to suit new tenants or subdivide the property for different commercial uses such as a bank, restaurant, medical offices, a pharmacy or general office space.

Cool. Looks like we might get some new development there.

Bosco55David wrote:Cool. Looks like we might get some new development there.

Hopefully.  Just how long has that building set empty?

I also suspect that the owner will be paying less in property tax, having no building on the site.  


That's actually a good location.  An extremely busy intersection.  And the lot is big enough that you could put about anything imaginable there.

DeWalt wrote:Hopefully.  Just how long has that building set empty?

I think I remember hearing that the Baker's closed down in 2004 or 2005.

Closed December 3, 2004

Brad wrote:Closed December 3, 2004

Thanks for the clarification.

I'd love to see some good quality development there, but I don't know what it'd be.  The most likely candidates seem like a Walgreens, or gas station/convenience store.

Dirt is moving at the South East corner of 72nd and Blondo.  This is the location of a former Baker's grocery store.  The site was razed awhile back and has sat vacant ever since.  Does anyone have any insight into what may be built here?

(Thanks for the consolidation Brad, I am surprised to see this in the urban development forum...does anything east of 72nd qualify?)

I drove by the other day an noticed this too.  They tore all the trees that were left out and lots of construction stakes in there.  I have not idea what they are building.

According to Douglas County GIS (The Assessor), there are three parcels on that SE corner. The northern two are owned by a PDM Inc and the Southern parcel is owned by a  KG Store 363 LLC, so I'm guessing that will be a gas station.

Another Kum and Go...

Not what I expected.

Disappointment for the neighborhood. A chain restaurant would have been better, or even a Quick Trip.

GetUrban wrote:Disappointment for the neighborhood. A chain restaurant would have been better, or even a Quick Trip.

To me, it's not a big neighborhood difference whether it's a QT or K and G.

Greg

I'm not a fan of K&G. QT or (the newer) Bucky's always seem to be cleaner and I don't feel like the place is going to be robbed.

I've not noticed a huge difference, but the two K and G's close to me are very clean (132nd and Fort, 168th off of Maple).  The QT on south 72nd near Wal Mart is OK, the QT on north 72nd is not always the best.  There's a QT in KC right by the Marriott up the hill from the plaza and that definitely looks like a great place to film cops.

I think K and G is an upgrade though from the convenience store on the northwest corner of 72nd and Dodge.

Greg

Speaking of K&G they are also building a new one at 144 & Q.  The lot where the Cutchall Restaurant Management build stood.  They tore it down a few weeks ago and now for the last couple of weeks the COMMING SOON sign has been up.  The Cutchall building had had a for sale sign in it for a long time.

Well, I guess there's still hope for the site....K&G is only taking up the south 1/3 to 1/2 of the 4+ acre site. I think the name of K&G is my least favorite thing about it. ....would prefer a Git-n-Skit.....more common down south.

They are nearly finished with the new K and G on South 84th Street, about across the street from the QT.

I drove past 72nd & Blondo early this morning.  I'm not sure what is going to be built, but they are definitely at work building something.  A lot of surveying & staking, and there are concrete forms ready to be set up.  

It's good to see.

There is a sign up now that says: Coming Soon...Kum and Go. This makes me think the one on 66th and Blondo will have wrecking ball in its future! Well, let's hope so!

Dusty wrote:There is a sign up now that says: Coming Soon...Kum and Go. This makes me think the one on 66th and Blondo will have wrecking ball in its future! Well, let's hope so!

Good point!  That Kum and Go has got to be one of the worst in the city.

iamjacobm wrote:

Dusty wrote:There is a sign up now that says: Coming Soon...Kum and Go. This makes me think the one on 66th and Blondo will have wrecking ball in its future! Well, let's hope so!

Good point!  That Kum and Go has got to be one of the worst in the city.

Its always in the news for being robbed. Whenever I have been in/near there, it looks like the bar scene in Star Wars. That whole block needs to be leveled.

Dusty wrote:There is a sign up now that says: Coming Soon...Kum and Go. This makes me think the one on 66th and Blondo will have wrecking ball in its future! Well, let's hope so!

I wouldn't count on it. The (complete ghetto) 108th & Emmet store is still open even though they bought and renamed the Oasis a couple blocks down the street several years ago.

The Oasis was awesome. Flat screen HD TV's on the walls, great lighting, good wine selection, always super clean etc. As soon as Kum and go bought it they ripped out the TV's, put in crappy fluorescent lighting and gutted every other thing that made it unique. Now it has all the ambiance of a inner-city ER at 3AM.

Also, I would love to know which location is robbed most often. It's got to be either 108th and Emmet or 66th and Blondo.

I effing HATE Kum and GO.

There is now a sign up for Family Dollar for the north Lot.  That leaves only the smaller middle lot left.

I am not sure what I expected for this development, but a Dollar Store and a gas station is not what I hoped for...

I think your run of the mill average looking apartment complex would of been better.

I agree, the new occupants at this site are kind of a disappointment. Would have preferred some restaurants at least.

But on a more positive note, I'm impressed with the speed they're building the Kum & Go.... and the brick materials are not bad for that type of store/gas station combo. I like the brick wall along 72nd which will help hide the expanse of concrete paving under the canopy to the store. The city's design standards must have forced the developer to make it look nicer than usual. I'm sure they'll require some landscaping/screening too. 72nd between Ames and Western Ave. is still pretty darn ugly though, for the most part.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20121011/M ... ers-oct-11

KG Store 363 LLC to Pearce, Jack Trust, 1819 N. 72nd St., $3,200,000.

I didn't expect that land to be worth that much.

iamjacobm wrote:http://www.omaha.com/article/20121011/M ... ers-oct-11

KG Store 363 LLC to Pearce, Jack Trust, 1819 N. 72nd St., $3,200,000.

I didn't expect that land to be worth that much.

Well it is in the middle of the city along one of the most main north-south thoroughfares.

HR Paperstacks wrote:

iamjacobm wrote:http://www.omaha.com/article/20121011/M ... ers-oct-11

KG Store 363 LLC to Pearce, Jack Trust, 1819 N. 72nd St., $3,200,000.

I didn't expect that land to be worth that much.

Well it is in the middle of the city along one of the most main north-south thoroughfares.

Yes, but $3.2 million for land sandwiched by a gas station and Dollar Store?  The development potential there is really low.

It's a NNN investment deal.

Dirt has been moved in the Middle Lot. Not sure if that's the Family Dollar or something else.