Civic Square (former Civic Auditorium)

NEDodger · Post by **NEDodger** » Tue May 26, 2015 5:23 pm

I just can't see that. There are too many sputtering developments that need an anchor tenant like that for HDR to try and start something new.

Post by **Coyote** » Tue May 26, 2015 6:05 pm

MTO wrote:Trenton blurbed he thinks HDR will go down by the ballpark I assume he is referring to the civic site. But you'd think the civic site has enough gravitas to not be mentioned as near the ballpark. Could it be a North Downtown HQ or could it be wishful thinking.

Trenton has a way of avoiding the mention of any company he considers his competition, so by not mentioning the Tetrad site by name, may simply be his self promotion only programming. But to say 'by the ballpark' makes him look ignorant of the Omaha landscape, petty in his self promoting, or, he knows something we don't.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Tue May 26, 2015 6:30 pm

Coyote wrote:
MTO wrote:Trenton blurbed he thinks HDR will go down by the ballpark I assume he is referring to the civic site. But you'd think the civic site has enough gravitas to not be mentioned as near the ballpark. Could it be a North Downtown HQ or could it be wishful thinking.
Trenton has a way of avoiding the mention of any company he considers his competition, so by not mentioning the Tetrad site by name, may simply be his self promotion only programming. But to say 'by the ballpark' makes him look ignorant of the Omaha landscape, petty in his self promoting, or, he knows something we don't.

But if you'd be so kind to indulge me, what's your intuition say?

daveoma · Post by **daveoma** » Tue May 26, 2015 6:32 pm

I think there was a site designated as a possible future corporate headquarters in the north downtown plan. The land is east and north of 10th and Cuming. Maybe they're going there?

Post by **Coyote** » Tue May 26, 2015 8:02 pm

daveoma wrote:I think there was a site designated as a possible future corporate headquarters in the north downtown plan. The land is east and north of 10th and Cuming. Maybe they're going there?

Union Pacific has been trying to sell the 25 acres on 11th and Izard. $5.5M

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:43 pm

City soliciting bids for demolition of Civic Auditorium

The City of Omaha is soliciting bids for the demolition of the Civic Auditorium.
The city wants a company to salvage the remaining materials later this year, then demolish the building next year, the Mayor's Office said in a press release Wednesday.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:15 pm

It's a large undertaking, but it sure doesn't seem like the city is in much of a hurry to get the site ready for new development. Especially since the civic has already been closed for 1 year!

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:17 pm

GetUrban wrote:It's a large undertaking, but it sure doesn't seem like the city is in much of a hurry to get the site ready for new development. Especially since the civic has already been closed for 1 year!

Recent history would suggest demolition is not the bottleneck to building new high-rise projects downtown...

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:45 pm

Perhaps channel 6 is doing a story about this as well.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 8:10 pm

GetUrban wrote:It's a large undertaking, but it sure doesn't seem like the city is in much of a hurry to get the site ready for new development. Especially since the civic has already been closed for 1 year!

This project is on a very long timeline, but it probably won't get the Shamrock treatment b/c they were pretty clear that this was going to be a long process from jump street.

I think that is one reason the grocery component here is pretty forward thinking, sure a WF concept might not work today, but 5 more years of DT development will make the whole area very different.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:55 pm

MTO wrote:Trenton blurbed he thinks HDR will go down by the ballpark I assume he is referring to the civic site. But you'd think the civic site has enough gravitas to not be mentioned as near the ballpark. Could it be a North Downtown HQ or could it be wishful thinking.

I've heard good things. Not Civic though.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:07 pm

Ahhhhhh interesting...

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:11 pm

cdub wrote:
MTO wrote:Trenton blurbed he thinks HDR will go down by the ballpark I assume he is referring to the civic site. But you'd think the civic site has enough gravitas to not be mentioned as near the ballpark. Could it be a North Downtown HQ or could it be wishful thinking.
I've heard good things. Not Civic though.

Able to give anymore info?

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:20 pm

cdub wrote:
MTO wrote:Trenton blurbed he thinks HDR will go down by the ballpark I assume he is referring to the civic site. But you'd think the civic site has enough gravitas to not be mentioned as near the ballpark. Could it be a North Downtown HQ or could it be wishful thinking.
I've heard good things. Not Civic though.

Lanoha?

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:16 pm

If not here, then I think they will go into MTC. Maybe into the area where Clarinda-Page once was and the area now occupied by National Indemnity.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:52 pm

RNcyanide wrote:If not here, then I think they will go into MTC. Maybe into the area where Clarinda-Page once was and the area now occupied by National Indemnity.

The Clarinda/Page footprint is pretty small so, hypothetically, a tower there would be very interesting. Really help tie midtown and downtown, I believe.

Obviously the previous statement is about as pie in the sky as a key lime on a flight, but still.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:06 pm

Maybe should make a HDR speculation thread?

Anyways. The one scrap of info we have is "around the ballpark." If HDR goes in North Downtown and it is a well designed building that interacts with the street I think it will be a bigger impact on the city than if they went into the Civic project. That would be such a massive shot in the arm to the neighborhood that could have incredible ripple effects.

I think Tetrad gets this project done with or without HDR. Tetrad has deep pockets and connections all over.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:11 pm

The Yard, anyone? Most substantial Non-Meca or Creighton lot there is.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:34 pm

That would be perfect. They would be within easy walking distance of a range of hotels for their out of town workers, not to mention TDA Park.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:09 am

Boy wouldn't it be awesome if they teamed up with UP to building something decently tall at the Lanoha site.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:46 am

Talked with insiders at HDR and UP..."internal" announcement coming soon at HDR, they could NOT divulge the sites they are looking at, but hinted downtown somewhere sounds most likley.

Nothing concrete from an insider on UP going into Lanoha, but they plan to move I.T. people out of Central Park Plaza (red brick twin towers) to the Papillion Data Center site when it opens. Did say other departments are growing too, but RR transport freight traffic is down recently. Might be looking for the cheapest space available.

Just speculating, but I'm not sure the Lanoha sized high-rise floor plates would be the most desired layout for HDR departments. They would probably prefer wide-open large floor plates. Plus Tack Architects designed the Lanoha concept. Not to say they couldn't partner with HDR, but seems unlikely. The UP land north of TDA/Abbott is intriguing though.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:16 pm

Sounds like very exciting news is coming but also wondering if it will be hard to find a tenant for this site. Is having a signed occupier a prerequisite for construction? There's been a lot of big moves lately and they all seam to do their own thing how many more can there be.

brick · Post by **brick** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:53 pm

Last I heard from an HDR employee was that the preferred site is downtown, however, I'm sworn to secrecy, although it is located on an open lot, not an existing building. It is not Civic, Lanoha, Shamrock, North DOwntown, or MTC.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 1:15 pm

Hmmm...could it be the block bound by 11th-12th Dodge-Capitol? or the half block on the north side of Harney between 10th-11th? I know the former was bought recently I think by Heritage Services to keep it for Holland parking or future growth.

How about east side of 10th between Howard & Harney? That was supposed to be reserved for future development. Otherwise, maybe further west....

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 2:06 pm

New thread for this, anyone?

Trips · Post by **Trips** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 4:09 pm

There are some very smart people on here. The correct answer has been said. I will find out this weekend or Monday if their site has been signed for and confirm it.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 4:32 pm

How many employees at HDR?

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 4:46 pm

Should we start taking bets on whether or not this is a high rise, or if it's a Gavilon type low rise?

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 5:00 pm

That's exactly what I'm wondering.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 5:17 pm

I wouldn't be too upset with a building the same height as Gavilon in North Downtown.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:23 pm

MTO wrote:How many employees at HDR?

Somewhere around 700 in Omaha.

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:19 am

iamjacobm wrote:Maybe should make a HDR speculation thread?

Anyways. The one scrap of info we have is "around the ballpark." If HDR goes in North Downtown and it is a well designed building that interacts with the street I think it will be a bigger impact on the city than if they went into the Civic project. That would be such a massive shot in the arm to the neighborhood that could have incredible ripple effects.

I think Tetrad gets this project done with or without HDR. Tetrad has deep pockets and connections all over.

HDR is looking at the parking lot just south of Shamrock's Capitol District, between 11th and 12th, Capitol and Dodge.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 6:53 pm

Coyote wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:Maybe should make a HDR speculation thread?

HDR is looking at the parking lot just south of Shamrock's Capitol District, between 11th and 12th, Capitol and Dodge.

Doesn't the Holland have part of the lot?

lmdramos · Post by **lmdramos** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 7:37 pm

They have all of it besides the two little parts the city owns.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:26 pm

Well the other parcel is smaller which would force a higher floor count, darn! But I'm sure it's owned by another party as well.

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:14 pm

New thread for this side topic... New HDR building

NEDodger · Post by **NEDodger** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:35 pm

Part of this site has an area for a civic/government building. Any hope that the Kiewit Center/Nebraska State Offices move here and that ugly brick building is flattened for a new development?

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:52 pm

NEDodger wrote:Part of this site has an area for a civic/government building. Any hope that the Kiewit Center/Nebraska State Offices move here and that ugly brick building is flattened for a new development?

Lets hope so.

Midwestern · Post by **Midwestern** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:32 am

NEDodger wrote:Part of this site has an area for a civic/government building. Any hope that the Kiewit Center/Nebraska State Offices move here and that ugly brick building is flattened for a new development?

Getting rid of that current building and opening that block up for development is super high on my wish list for Omaha.

In my opinion either that block or library block would be the perfect location to put a ground floor grocery store with apartments on top

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:50 am

I think the civic space was reserved for a new library.