Omaha Forums

We ate at the Smoke Pit last Saturday.

They have apparently closed their bar and they were out of a few of their staples and they are now open only 4 days per week.

Anyone know what's going on?

Here is a story from a couple weeks ago, I thought it was posted on the forum:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20140214/NEWS/140219302" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future

I think I reported that a brewery was looking at this site a few months ago?

Vis Major?

SaveOmaha wrote:Vis Major?

They are launching a kickstarter next month. Might be for buildout costs.

Coyote wrote:

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future

I think I reported that a brewery was looking at this site a few months ago?

I found when you said that. I misread... Assumed the 25th and Farnam site you mentioned was the Hupmobile Building.

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future

Aren't the trees on city right of way?

nativeomahan wrote:

SaveOmaha wrote:Trees are chopped down, dumpster outside and construction company banner out front. Looks like a rehab in the near future

Aren't the trees on city right of way?

I don't think they were very healthy. I would also guess that the city would want that old bed with railroad ties and sidewalk replaced with the current city design.

Property fenced up now.

Becoming "Farnam 25", with retail and restaurant space:

http://www.omaha.com/money/former-smoke ... 84d5e.html

The investment is expected to total $1 million. Looks like a great addition to the this area.

By next year, the former Smoke Pit BBQ at 25th and Farnam Streets will house at least three new businesses and, developers hope, a new restaurant or brewery.
Demolition has begun inside the 7,000 square-foot building. When finished, the newly named Farnam 25 will have 1,200 to 1,500 square-foot retail storefronts along Farnam Street, said Adam Watson, a partner in the project. The restaurant space will be about 3,700 square feet.

Here is the rendering from the paper:

Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.

Wow, that looks nice!

skinzfan23 wrote:Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.

That would be great too!

Smart to turn the building to Farnam. This will be a really nice gathering place for a growing part of DT.

skinzfan23 wrote:Maybe the old gas station building across the street can get redeveloped as well.

No kidding. Great spot for another 5 story 100 unit apartment building.

At this point, I'd take a refurbished new gas station. That thing is a blight and will look even more so with all of the new buildings around it.

That gas station site is extremely contaminated.

I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!

A rooftop deck on that hill would almost certainly have a great skyline view! I wonder if the new hotel on 24th would impede that at all..

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!

BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.

omahacacher wrote:

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!

BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.

I was going to tell you about the time when there was a junked out car behind that Town & Country. A buddy and me had a few drinks in the Old market and we stopped at the Town & Country on 24th & Farnam to use the bathroom. We walk in and they say the bathroom is closed to the public or something. My friend walks around the back to take a wizz and he notices there is 3 guys sitting in that junked out car pretending they are cruising around. My buddy signals me back there and we go up to that car and start talking to them. Long story short its 3 20yr old guys sitting in that car huffing spray paint to the point where they actually think they are out cruising around on a Saturday night. I was going to tell you that story but now I will not.

This definitely signals steady momentum for redevelopment of this stretch. Now that a lot of the old apartments south of here are being redeveloped, I'd wager this area starts feeling a lot cleaner pretty quick.

Also, unless someone can produce news articles or police reports for two armed robberies of that gas station in less than a week, I'm not buying it either.

I wish they didn't have that billboard on top of the building. In the rendering it isn't noticeable because it's plain, but with advertising it would look really tacky.

omahacacher wrote:

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:I remember the day way back in 1981 that my buddy walked in my door and informed me and 3 of my friends that he had just landed a cool job working the graveyard shift at the Town and Country gas station on 24th and Farnam. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Finally I said seriously Terry you cant go down there and work in that station you will get shot within a month. Terry got mad at me and my friends and told us we were just jealous! We said Terry we are so sure you are going to get robbed we are going to form a betting pool and take bets on how long it will take you to get robbed. Terry started working the next day. On his 3rd day he was robbed at gun point. I said Terry I know its rotten that you have to quit that job but you do or your going to get killed. He said I'm not quitting or letting them run me out. Please Terry I said you are going to get killed. He didnt listen. On his 7th day he got robbed at gun point again. Terry still would quit. A week later Terry got robbed at gun point again. Terry quit the next day!

BS. Your lies are getting more outrageous each day. Just go away already.

I remember how this neighborhood was back in the 70's. You might find this hard to believe since most of you weren't born yet or weren't old enough to remember, but this part of town was crawling with heroin addicts, hookers, pimps, etc.. A friend of mine was trying to save money while in grad school and he rented a place near by, so I got to see it up close. The stories my friend would tell me were beyond the pale, so I don't think Grandpasmucker is exaggerating. Omaha had some really badass neighborhoods back then, and I remember reading a story in a local publication about the thousands of junkies who lived just west of downtown. Junkies will do anything for their next fix; robbery was their crime of choice----an all night gas station would've been an easy mark.

So it's improving, then? Good.

Saturday Photo Update:

Coming soon sign for Zen Coffee has been hanging in one of the bays for quite some time, looks like they are planning on opening in Spring. https://www.facebook.com/pg/zencoffeeco ... e_internal

It is interesting to see all these small and mostly locally owned coffee shops pop up in the area between midtown and the old market. Between Howlin' Hounds, Well Grounded, Mug Life, Himalayan Java, and now Zen, downtown workers and dwellers can get their fix without going to a chain.

There doesn't seem to be much urgency here. Rarely any progress being made and I go by here 5 times a week. I don't think there is any interior work being done and the parking lot to the east is still a mess that will need to be addressed before anything opens.

jelizh wrote:Coming soon sign for Zen Coffee has been hanging in one of the bays for quite some time, looks like they are planning on opening in Spring. https://www.facebook.com/pg/zencoffeeco ... e_internal

Zen just submitted permits so some action is going on there

Zen's work will be completed by May-all CO's are waiting on parking lot project-city gives 60 days. Two other restaurants have signed and are beginning work-names and details to come at a later time.

So, so far we have two restaurants and a coffee shop?

Yes and across the street is the Holiday Inn, they submitted for permits recently and a new condo/apartment complex next to it. It is my understanding that everything else around will be staying thought it will be interesting to see how the International Market and neighboring businesses will progress through all of the changes. They do not seem thrilled with the changes but have an opportunity to grow as well.

One restaurant will be Hkahku Thai Restaurant which will take the north bay, Zen Coffee is in the east bay which makes it very unlikely we will see a brewery here.

Zen's Grand Opening will be 6/23-25, soft opening on Monday.

I heard Voodoo Taco will be taking the north bay spot now

Besides, Zen is expanding and they are annexing the space just west of their coffee shop. So they will be only one bay unused.

https://www.ketv.com/article/farnam-hil ... n/27363789

Abby Korth and her partner, Ryan, took a chance two years ago when they bought an old barbecue joint.

They turned it into Zen Coffee at 25th and Farnam streets.

It's almost right in the center of Omaha's newest neighborhood; an eight-block section known as the Farnam Hill District.

Across the street, the owners of Zen Coffee are now opening a yoga studio.

Next to that, the Next Chapter Book Store.

Voodoo Taco is also setting up shop, one of numerous businesses in the new Farnam Hill District.

iamjacobm wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 8:53 am https://www.ketv.com/article/farnam-hil ... n/27363789

Abby Korth and her partner, Ryan, took a chance two years ago when they bought an old barbecue joint.

They turned it into Zen Coffee at 25th and Farnam streets.

It's almost right in the center of Omaha's newest neighborhood; an eight-block section known as the Farnam Hill District.

Across the street, the owners of Zen Coffee are now opening a yoga studio.

Next to that, the Next Chapter Book Store.

Voodoo Taco is also setting up shop, one of numerous businesses in the new Farnam Hill District.

Just to clarify, is this new Farnam Hills District what people were wanting to call the Quarters District? The article and video explained nothing about the boundaries, other than it's composed of 8 blocks.