Missouri River Commons (Riverfront Development)
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Go big or go home on this site. It's the only way this will be a viable development, imo. lots of plans floating around.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Would the Almighty Tuna care to tell us peasants some inside news?almighty_tuna wrote:Go big or go home on this site. It's the only way this will be a viable development, imo. Lots of plans floating around.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
I've heard a couple different things. can't speak to specifics. but look at what we've already tried. rick's isn't exactly a big investment though, right? So you polish a turd and make a half-assed effort and call it green space along the river with some food trucks and bs, or make it a destination. the parts are there; bridge extension to connect fahey dr. to the riverfront, blank slate along riverfront drive, potential redevelopment of the conagra space, old power plant apartments. just draw a line along the riverfront, add some dollars. could be great. or could be a continuation of ho-hum. i don't see a real middle ground here that also breeds success.PotatoeEatsFish wrote:Would the Almighty Tuna care to tell us peasants some inside news?almighty_tuna wrote:Go big or go home on this site. It's the only way this will be a viable development, imo. Lots of plans floating around.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Did the mayor even mention the timeframe for putting out the RFP?
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
iamjacobm wrote:Did the mayor even mention the timeframe for putting out the RFP?
Mayor Jean Stothert has said she expects to issue a request for proposals for the site after the building is demolished
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Two words would make me incredibly happy for this site: Shake Shack
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Member berryMTO wrote:Pink berry
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
iamjacobm wrote:I heard something really big is churning behind the scenes. Like 9 digit budget big.
I'd really like to know more about the 9 digits thing. If that's the case I have to admit I'd be really shocked, quite pleasantly shocked though. That would I mean assume fully gutting the area, doing it right, removing the lead to standards where some real re-development can happen. I'm 100 per cent with Tuna on this, go big or go home. Volleyball courts and food trucks = LAME. Do it right this time and make it a destination. I mean, even as the concrete jungle it is now I'm always surprised at the number of people down there at any given time. Connect the pedestrian bridge to Mike Fahey St., put in a destination attraction (Museum, etc.), more residential, sustainable smaller businesses, and trail connection u p Lauritzen Gardens/Henry Doorly and this thing is a grand slam. I believe the RPS were supposed to be in pretty soon. I think those were just for the Storz site. Hopefully words drops on that soon. Really hope some kind of word comes on the rest of the riverfront and the bigger plans for the area.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
HR Paperstacks wrote:Member berryMTO wrote:Pink berry
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Member Streetcars?HR Paperstacks wrote:Member berryMTO wrote:Pink berry
OMA-->CHI-->NYC
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Ohh, member Jobbers Cannon?Garrett wrote:Member Streetcars?HR Paperstacks wrote:Member berryMTO wrote:Pink berry
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Yeah. Council Bluffs is building an office park with housing and retail on their side of the river and Omaha is planning on a sand volleyball court and a food truck. Lead or no lead, Omaha better step it up.omahahawk wrote:iamjacobm wrote:I heard something really big is churning behind the scenes. Like 9 digit budget big.
I'd really like to know more about the 9 digits thing. If that's the case I have to admit I'd be really shocked, quite pleasantly shocked though. That would I mean assume fully gutting the area, doing it right, removing the lead to standards where some real re-development can happen. I'm 100 per cent with Tuna on this, go big or go home. Volleyball courts and food trucks = LAME. Do it right this time and make it a destination. I mean, even as the concrete jungle it is now I'm always surprised at the number of people down there at any given time. Connect the pedestrian bridge to Mike Fahey St., put in a destination attraction (Museum, etc.), more residential, sustainable smaller businesses, and trail connection u p Lauritzen Gardens/Henry Doorly and this thing is a grand slam. I believe the RPS were supposed to be in pretty soon. I think those were just for the Storz site. Hopefully words drops on that soon. Really hope some kind of word comes on the rest of the riverfront and the bigger plans for the area.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Yeah but Omaha's side already has a few high rises, a couple stadiums, convection center and has to deal with contaminated soil so..
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
MTO wrote:Yeah but Omaha's side already has a few high rises, a couple stadiums, convection center and has to deal with contaminated soil so..
Convection Center Omaha. A good place to cook your hot pockets.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
I feel we lack in museums and exploration centers.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
According to Nebraska law; science is sorcery and art is the devil's pornography.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
MTO wrote:According to Nebraska law; science is sorcery and art is the devil's pornography.
Have to go across the state line to dance
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
You can dance in Nebraska as long as it's a polka. Anything else is the devil's work.choke wrote:MTO wrote:According to Nebraska law; science is sorcery and art is the devil's pornography.
Have to go across the state line to dance
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
MadMartin8 wrote:MTO wrote:Yeah but Omaha's side already has a few high rises, a couple stadiums, convection center and has to deal with contaminated soil so..
Convection Center Omaha. A good place to cook your hot pockets.
Well...they are converting an old meatpacking plant in South Omaha into a collection of startups, including a series of commercial kitchens for rent by anyone who needs to use them. Why not a convection center? Lord knows we already have enough convention centers.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Does this mean something is actually going to happen or is this just the city looking to utilize what is currently on the riverfront?
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
I've heard from a inside source that the Heritage Services is planning to “restart” on their riverfront initiatives and rethink the opportunities along the Missouri Riverfront from a big-picture, conceptual, master planning standpoint. A new organization/business structure would be created to separate this new work from being solely attached to Heritage Services.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Mayor Stothert was on Grow Omaha this morning and said everything we already know about this site, except, that she believes that Capitol Street should directly hook up with whatever is here.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
It would be cool if we could some how tunnel the rail lines between Abbott and Riverfront Drive, open up the entire area for development (or even further south).
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
That has been a part of my dreams for a while now. Even if it is just to add more Green Space...Stargazer wrote:It would be cool if we could some how tunnel the rail lines between Abbott and Riverfront Drive, open up the entire area for development (or even further south).
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
All they'd need to do is a cut and cover and they already have the cut part done. Building over tracks has been is beeing don all over the country theres no reason why it can't be done here.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Yeah, in NYC, they're building skyscrapers over their train tracks. It can be done.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Chicago has a lot of places downtown where buildings are on top of railroad tracks as well. In fact the bean is built over a rail yard.
I wonder how much land value affects the viability of a project like this. Downtown Omaha probably has a significantly lower price per acre compared to Chicago and definitely compared to New York. How much does this factor into a cap over the railroad being a viable use of city funds?
I wonder how much land value affects the viability of a project like this. Downtown Omaha probably has a significantly lower price per acre compared to Chicago and definitely compared to New York. How much does this factor into a cap over the railroad being a viable use of city funds?
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
TitosBuritoBarn wrote:Chicago has a lot of places downtown where buildings are on top of railroad tracks as well. In fact the bean is built over a rail yard.
I wonder how much land value affects the viability of a project like this. Downtown Omaha probably has a significantly lower price per acre compared to Chicago and definitely compared to New York. How much does this factor into a cap over the railroad being a viable use of city funds?
|expletive| I didn't know there were tracks under the bean, I guess that shouldn't surprise me given the extensive underground street network Batman uses.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Thought this was interesting also:In addition, the panel strongly advocates for the streetcar system on 10th Street that will reduce the auto dependency of the riverfront and eventually allow for the removal of so much surface parking in the riverfront. More regionally, the panel advocates that future bus rapid transit routes cross the I-480 bridge to Council Bluffs and Playland Park. Such service would support transit use of the riverfront to complete trips and support transit-oriented development. Imagine visitors returning to Omaha on public transit after walking over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and visiting Playland.
Moor a barge to the landing to provide additional space for kiosks and outdoor programmed events such as concerts, art fairs, and festivals.
Moor a hotel barge or riverboat to the landing during large events to provide additional rooms during periods of increased demand (Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, College World Series, Olympic Swim Trials, etc.).
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
I posted about this in 2004, but it never got much traction.Coyote wrote:That has been a part of my dreams for a while now. Even if it is just to add more Green Space...Stargazer wrote:It would be cool if we could some how tunnel the rail lines between Abbott and Riverfront Drive, open up the entire area for development (or even further south).
http://www.eomahaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=115
Then back in 2009 they proposed the Grand Lawn over the tracks and the connection to the riverfront area in the "Omaha 2030" Master Plan:
http://urbanplanning.cityofomaha.org/im ... 30_web.pdf
Hopefully by 2030 it will actually be a reality...
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Omaha just put in a tunnel in this area. It's 3,500 feet long, 17-feet-wide and 70 foot deep (tunneling in this area is tricky because the riverfront). You need to go deep. At $21 million total project cost, that's $6,000 per linear foot. If you tunnel the tracks from Abbott/Riverfront to Dodge Street, near those surface lots, you're looking at roughly a mile, give or take a few hundred feet. Assuming the same cost per linear foot, you're looking at $31.68 million just to put the tunnel in. Granted, I believe a single-track rail line could be built in a smaller tunnel (minimum ~14 feet) but there is more to factor in (ventilation, etc) than the CSO tunnel requires. Safe to say tunneling this isn't an economical option.Brad wrote:I posted about this in 2004, but it never got much traction.Coyote wrote:That has been a part of my dreams for a while now. Even if it is just to add more Green Space...Stargazer wrote:It would be cool if we could some how tunnel the rail lines between Abbott and Riverfront Drive, open up the entire area for development (or even further south).
http://www.eomahaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=115
Then back in 2009 they proposed the Grand Lawn over the tracks and the connection to the riverfront area in the "Omaha 2030" Master Plan:
http://urbanplanning.cityofomaha.org/im ... 30_web.pdf
Hopefully by 2030 it will actually be a reality...
The Grant Lawn idea is just a lid on top of what is there now. Been done before elsewhere. I wouldn't get my hopes up.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
This is The Highline an abandoned freight rail line bridge in NY that was converted to a park. It wouldn't cost more to cap the railroad tracks than it would to build an equivalent length bridge to cap the rail line. Most likely it would be cheaper if the bridge is only going to have pedestrian traffic and not vehicle traffic.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
I don't think any of use are expecting a full fledged "tunnel" I was thinking more along the lings of not touching the track, and building some poured Concrete walls for the sides and some sort of cover on top. May be like a smaller version of the Alameda Corridor, but with pedestrian accessible cover on big (or at least key) sections.
That track already sits on the lowest elevations along the riverfront. If they built the walls and piled dirt up on the sides, it would almost blend right in.
That track already sits on the lowest elevations along the riverfront. If they built the walls and piled dirt up on the sides, it would almost blend right in.
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Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
Apologies for going off topic, but as an Omahan stuck in Chicago, this whole area is fascinating.MTO wrote:
|expletive| I didn't know there were tracks under the bean, I guess that shouldn't surprise me given the extensive underground street network Batman uses.
Under the bean, it's not just tracks, there's an entire rail station under it. The whole area between the art institute and the river is fascinating from the gigantic S turn that they replaced in the 70s to Millennium park covering this gigantic rail area.
Rail yards then and now:
S curve - in the first photo you can see the old horrific curve with 2 90 degree turns to the right, and the replacement to the left.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
...the Downtown 2030 Plan (from HDR) is a lid - similar to the one below they built over SR 520 in Washington, not converting an already-existing bridge to a park. https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F ... _4web1.jpgJoe_Sovereign wrote:
This is The Highline an abandoned freight rail line bridge in NY that was converted to a park. It wouldn't cost more to cap the railroad tracks than it would to build an equivalent length bridge to cap the rail line. Most likely it would be cheaper if the bridge is only going to have pedestrian traffic and not vehicle traffic.
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
My apologies, when people say "tunnel" I think "tunnel" (comes from working at an engineering firm - the one everyone seemingly hates on here ). This is a solution that would work, and put a fairly expansive lid over the section nearest the CenturyLink/Rick's area. I honestly do not know who owns those tracks down there (want to say it's UP) and how do we get them to play nice AND foot the bill...Brad wrote:I don't think any of use are expecting a full fledged "tunnel" I was thinking more along the lings of not touching the track, and building some poured Concrete walls for the sides and some sort of cover on top. May be like a smaller version of the Alameda Corridor, but with pedestrian accessible cover on big (or at least key) sections.
That track already sits on the lowest elevations along the riverfront. If they built the walls and piled dirt up on the sides, it would almost blend right in.
Photo from V. Alexander & Co., Inc wrote:
Re: Riverfront Development (Rick's & Storz area)
BNSF owns the south part and the UP owns the north part. They switch ownership around the 480 bridge. Back before Heartland of America park the UP had their own access to North Downtown, but after the re-development, they use the BNSF to access their tracks in North Downtown. Their original track ran right through where the lake is now.guest2017 wrote:I honestly do not know who owns those tracks down there (want to say it's UP) and how do we get them to play nice AND foot the bill...
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Re: Missouri River Commons (Riverfront Development)
Greater Omaha Chamber initiates riverfront development
http://www.wowt.com/content/news/Greate ... 45803.html
https://www.omahachamber.org/the-region ... r-commons/
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http://www.wowt.com/content/news/Greate ... 45803.html
Missouri River Commons page on the Chamber's Website:wowt.com wrote:Rachel Halbmaier is the new Director of the Missouri River Commons.
“Activating the riverfront is just going to drive traffic down to the area and to Omaha,” says Halbmaier. “It's just going to be good for everybody. That's why I'm really excited to be here.”
https://www.omahachamber.org/the-region ... r-commons/
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