North Downtown vs. Other Cities' Arena Districts

[Greg S]

It's just so spread out in different directions.  Does not seemed well planned in Omaha.  Kind of hap hazard in how it's played out.

In KC it's great when you come out of the Sprint Center and they are all right there.  Also more pedestrian friendly.  I really like the common area there with the big screen where they do special events.  They have all kinds of rally's for the local teams there.  It's very cool.

Greg

[MadMartin8]

It's just so spread out in different directions.  Does not seemed well planned in Omaha.  Kind of hap hazard in how it's played out.

In KC it's great when you come out of the Sprint Center and they are all right there.  Also more pedestrian friendly.  I really like the common area there with the big screen where they do special events.  They have all kinds of rally's for the local teams there.  It's very cool.

Greg

It's only "spread out" because there isn't infill density, really, around the new Stadium and CLink. Once the North gets going more and the Shamrock development gets going, then it won't seem like that anymore..plus, the new apartment complexes around the downtown area will actually drawn people to live within the area, which is largely missing still.... Unless you have an unrealistic idea of density for Omaha, keeping in mind K.C has 2.4 million people.

[iamjacobm]

So when's the expiration date for using Gallup, Rick's Boatyard, etc in the "NDT is awesome" articles? A lot of these things (Gallup, CenturyLink, Rick's, etc) opened 9 years ago. Sure, they're great but it's getting close to sounding more like, "Remember when all that new stuff was being built in north downtown? that was so great, let's relive that through another article about suburbanites discovering life exists outside of 480."

Probably pretty soon, but I think even the 12 year timeline works b/c they can point to 12 years ago when north of 480 was a literal wasteland.  Also that there has been a major piece added every year.

It is time to look forward, but everything for the next 12 will be because of the development of the last 12.  This is pretty much the tipping point for the neighborhood IMO.  All the anchors are in place, now to see if the city can support more simple infill.

Now if they write this same article in 2015 I will give it  :roll:.

[Greg S]

It's just so spread out in different directions.  Does not seemed well planned in Omaha.  Kind of hap hazard in how it's played out.

In KC it's great when you come out of the Sprint Center and they are all right there.  Also more pedestrian friendly.  I really like the common area there with the big screen where they do special events.  They have all kinds of rally's for the local teams there.  It's very cool.

Greg

It's only "spread out" because there isn't infill density, really, around the new Stadium and CLink. Once the North gets going more and the Shamrock development gets going, then it won't seem like that anymore..plus, the new apartment complexes around the downtown area will actually drawn people to live within the area, which is largely missing still.... Unless you have an unrealistic idea of density for Omaha, keeping in mind K.C has 2.4 million people.

I just thought it helped in KC to have one developer guiding the project.  They kept it concentrated right from the start.  The Clink is what about 10 years old?  The development around it is still spread out.  Just wish it had been done a little differently.

On the density, remember to keep in mind, Lincoln has about 300,000.  

Greg

[MadMartin8]

It's just so spread out in different directions.  Does not seemed well planned in Omaha.  Kind of hap hazard in how it's played out.

In KC it's great when you come out of the Sprint Center and they are all right there.  Also more pedestrian friendly.  I really like the common area there with the big screen where they do special events.  They have all kinds of rally's for the local teams there.  It's very cool.

Greg

It's only "spread out" because there isn't infill density, really, around the new Stadium and CLink. Once the North gets going more and the Shamrock development gets going, then it won't seem like that anymore..plus, the new apartment complexes around the downtown area will actually drawn people to live within the area, which is largely missing still.... Unless you have an unrealistic idea of density for Omaha, keeping in mind K.C has 2.4 million people.

I just thought it helped in KC to have one developer guiding the project.  They kept it concentrated right from the start.  The Clink is what about 10 years old?  The development around it is still spread out.  Just wish it had been done a little differently.

On the density, remember to keep in mind, Lincoln has about 300,000.  

Greg

Lincoln's new arena went into an already established district that has a University of 26,000 students a block away. You can't compare that to what Omaha was trying to do by taking a dumpy industrial zone, rezoning it, and then rebuilding it in a new image. Not to mention within that 10 years there has been quite the economic downturn.

Furthermore, K.C is now paying for its rapid building of that district by tremendous funding problems regarding the P&L.

[NovakOmaha]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

[iamjacobm]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

The hotels design and placement are definitely a disappointment.

[MadMartin8]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

The hotels design and placement are definitely a disappointment.

I agree....starting with the Great Wall of Hotel near the CLink.

They could have done some awesome things with brick, glass facades, etc. Instead, there is little character to them and they seem "cookie cutter".

[iamjacobm]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

The hotels design and placement are definitely a disappointment.

I agree....starting with the Great Wall of Hotel near the CLink.

They could have done some awesome things with brick, glass facades, etc. Instead, there is little character to them and they seem "cookie cutter".

I am more bummed that 13th and Cuming was wasted, looking at it now it has so much more potential than what is there.  Instead of the possibility of having 3 active corners with bars, restaurants or retail all right at the main entrance to the stadium we got more or less walls with no street level presence.

I would even be fine with the same exact buildings just built a block east where the UP installment is now.

[MadMartin8]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

The hotels design and placement are definitely a disappointment.

I agree....starting with the Great Wall of Hotel near the CLink.

They could have done some awesome things with brick, glass facades, etc. Instead, there is little character to them and they seem "cookie cutter".

I am more bummed that 13th and Cuming was wasted, looking at it now it has so much more potential than what is there.  Instead of the possibility of having 3 active corners with bars, restaurants or retail all right at the main entrance to the stadium we got more or less walls with no street level presence.

I would even be fine with the same exact buildings just built a block east where the UP installment is now.

Aye, but it is what it is. I guess I'll take what we have over what was.

I still hold out hope for the Shamrock Development, as well as actually using the south side of 15th and Cuming ("The Yard"...barf), and then continuing north to Izard between 14th and 12th.


A man can dream! I think Shamrock will go a long ways to jump starting the area.

[NovakOmaha]

I just think it would have been better to see 3-4 story buildings with retail/office on the main floor & residential upstairs.  Cuming could have looked much better if the hotels didn't look (a) alike and (b) suburban.  It's great to have more hotels in the area but there seems not to have been any thought as to planned development.  In the original plan for the Qwest Center in the early 2000s the drawings showed buildings across the street to the west of the Qwest with parking and retail/residential, etc.  Didn't happen and plans do change over time, but there was thought given at the time.

The hotels design and placement are definitely a disappointment.

I agree....starting with the Great Wall of Hotel near the CLink.

They could have done some awesome things with brick, glass facades, etc. Instead, there is little character to them and they seem "cookie cutter".

I am more bummed that 13th and Cuming was wasted, looking at it now it has so much more potential than what is there.  Instead of the possibility of having 3 active corners with bars, restaurants or retail all right at the main entrance to the stadium we got more or less walls with no street level presence.

I would even be fine with the same exact buildings just built a block east where the UP installment is now.

Aye, but it is what it is. I guess I'll take what we have over what was.

I still hold out hope for the Shamrock Development, as well as actually using the south side of 15th and Cuming ("The Yard"...barf), and then continuing north to Izard between 14th and 12th.


A man can dream! I think Shamrock will go a long ways to jump starting the area.

Shamrock is a slam dunk.  It is what could have been with more of downtown.  I agree it is what it is but with better planning and design standards it could have been so much more.

[Greg S]

It's just so spread out in different directions.  Does not seemed well planned in Omaha.  Kind of hap hazard in how it's played out.

In KC it's great when you come out of the Sprint Center and they are all right there.  Also more pedestrian friendly.  I really like the common area there with the big screen where they do special events.  They have all kinds of rally's for the local teams there.  It's very cool.

Greg

It's only "spread out" because there isn't infill density, really, around the new Stadium and CLink. Once the North gets going more and the Shamrock development gets going, then it won't seem like that anymore..plus, the new apartment complexes around the downtown area will actually drawn people to live within the area, which is largely missing still.... Unless you have an unrealistic idea of density for Omaha, keeping in mind K.C has 2.4 million people.

I just thought it helped in KC to have one developer guiding the project.  They kept it concentrated right from the start.  The Clink is what about 10 years old?  The development around it is still spread out.  Just wish it had been done a little differently.

On the density, remember to keep in mind, Lincoln has about 300,000.  

Greg

Lincoln's new arena went into an already established district that has a University of 26,000 students a block away. You can't compare that to what Omaha was trying to do by taking a dumpy industrial zone, rezoning it, and then rebuilding it in a new image. Not to mention within that 10 years there has been quite the economic downturn.

Furthermore, K.C is now paying for its rapid building of that district by tremendous funding problems regarding the P&L.

Lincoln has also hired a developed to work specifically in the area.  Omaha's planning has just been so hap hazard.  Some here, some there.  Does not seem well planned or thought out.  I agree with some of the others on here.  Great having the hotels but they are so generic. I even spoke with the guys from GrowOmaha on their call in show once a quarter and they agreed a professional developer would have been useful in guiding the development down there.

Just remember the Clink has/had some of the same funding shortfalls as Power and Light.  We've had to go back to the legislature because the initial ones failed.  We were also told that Omaha's general fund would not be needed to pay for the Qwest/Clink....


Greg