Midtown 2050

Downtown, Midtown, and all parts east of 72nd.

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Swift
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Post by Swift »

I can't remember the name of the show, but there is a lunchtime NPR show that is about the Omaha African-American community. They've been talking about their dissatisfaction with Cox for a long time on that show. And (though it is an assumption) I assume Tawanna Black is black. I seem to remember her even being on the show a few times.
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Post by Coyote »

Stores build, relocate east to tap big midtown market
Omaha World Herald wrote:According to a recent report on market trends released by Grubb & Ellis Research, which tracks trends in the first quarter of 2007, said Omaha's rapid western development has fueled a rising vacancy rate in small-shop retail space. The Grubb & Ellis report singled out the West Center Road corridor, pointing out that more than 40,000 square feet of small-shop space was vacated in the first quarter of 2007, while only 8,500 square feet was leased. Small shops were defined in the report as having less than 10,000 square feet.

"There's a huge market here that's been completely underserved for many years," said Jim Champion, executive director of the Midtown Business Association and a chairman of Destination Midtown, a group that aims to revitalize the midtown area. The Grubb & Ellis report sets the western midtown border at 72nd Street; many Omahans consider locations east of 90th Street as midtown.

Dustin Culton agrees. The owner of the Omaha Chocolate Co. is negotiating to purchase a midtown building near 40th and Farnam Streets to open his third location. Culton, who grew up near 43rd and Chicago Streets, said midtown residents will support nearby businesses, opening opportunities in the area may have been overlooked as so many businesses went west. Culton hopes that the Farnam Street location will draw people from Mutual of Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
I have never heard of this Omaha Chocolate Co.  :P
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Post by DTO Luv »

How is 90th and Dodge Midtown? Unlike what the OWH says the definition of Midtown is not "elastic".
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

Because Omaha goes to 220th street or so so midtown could geographically be 114th and Dodge?

I have no problem with people thinking anything east of 90th being in midtown.  Who really cares its just a very general term to most people in the city.  Its not like people are saying 90th and maple is Benson or crossroads is located in Dundee.
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Post by the1wags »

I don't get too caught up in semantics regarding naming areas of town. But that said, I'll agree that 90th and Dodge isn't midtown in my book. Midtown was labeled as such because it was the middle of town at a certain time period. But as Omaha grows further, I don't think you should tote along the midtown name to "the middle" of the city. heck the middle of the city now is around 108th st.
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Post by DTO Luv »

Brad wrote:Because Omaha goes to 220th street or so so midtown could geographically be 114th and Dodge?

I have no problem with people thinking anything east of 90th being in midtown.  Who really cares its just a very general term to most people in the city.  Its not like people are saying 90th and maple is Benson or crossroads is located in Dundee.

But in this case "Midtown" is like Benson, Dundee, or Florence. It's the name of a specific area of town. It just happens to be based on direction.
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

I am not saying I cal it that.  I am just giving a case for the 90% of west Omaha People that are clueless about anything east of Westroads (not counting the qwest center)

I Midtown to me is east of 72nd street, Dundee, Benson, Aksarben, Gold Coast, MofO, UNMC, Josselyn Castle, SadleCreek, Happy Hollow, UNO.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

Anyone care to add up the number of threads on here with identical discussions about Midtown, Downtown, and West O?

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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

I agree that Midtown is the name of a specific neighborhood in the city, just like Benson, Dundee, the Old Market, South Omaha, Little Italy, North Downtown, etc.

I do get annoyed when I read an article that calls areas around 72nd, 84th, 90th, etc. "Midtown."  

Midtown is Midtown.

If you're speaking geographically, why don't you just say Central Omaha, or "in the middle of the city," or call it by its actual street location.  In stead of using a misleading headline like "Retailers Pour into Midtown Omaha," say "Retailers race to 90th and Dodge Area."

You guys know what I'm saying.
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Post by Uffda »

If you're speaking geographically, why don't you just say Central Omaha, or "in the middle of the city," or call it by its actual street location.  In stead of using a misleading headline like "Retailers Pour into Midtown Omaha," say "Retailers race to 90th and Dodge Area."
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I agree with being specific.
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Post by Bomaha »

Did Destination Midtown propose to cover/cap 480 and make it into a park in some study or was that one of our ideas here on the forum? Actually capping all three freeways (to a certain degree) 480, Kennedy, & North would do wonders to connect the surrounding neighborhoods as well as bring much needed greenspaces to these areas.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by iamjacobm »

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/omaha-e ... 9f6d7.html
Midtown Omaha has come back to life since some of the same players launched Destination Midtown in 2003. The Midtown 2050 proponents say they want to build on the momentum of Mutual’s Midtown Crossing, UNMC’s Buffett Cancer Center and other projects, redevelopment in the Blackstone District and new apartments and renovations in surrounding neighborhoods.

But Midtown 2050 backers worry that the area’s growth is too slow, too disjointed and too small. They see a streetcar as the engine that would accelerate the pace by enticing developers to build more — and enabling them to build taller buildings, because they wouldn’t need as much parking.

The two- and four-story apartment buildings popping up in the area are good, Ashford said. But he said erecting some eight- to 10-story buildings in the right places would produce the population density needed to make the neighborhood really take off.

Cook is concerned that midtown could miss its moment if the pace doesn’t pick up. Midtown is still too long on parking lots, he said, and too short on people.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by MTO »

I like the way these people think.
15-17, 26, 32
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by Dundeemaha »

If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by OmahaJaysCU »

Dundeemaha wrote:If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
I'm sick of people calling TIF corporate welfare. It's not. It's intended to level the playing field with greenfield development that is easier to finance and doesn't have to significantly modify aging infrastructure. Period.

There was an article a few years back in the OWH I will look for. It showed property valuations in Midtown before MTC and the other TIF projects and the valuations after (excluding the valuations of the projects because they don't count for 15 years). The difference was STAGGERING. Tif flat out worksand is not "corporate welfare"
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by Dundeemaha »

OmahaJaysCU wrote:
Dundeemaha wrote:If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
I'm sick of people calling TIF corporate welfare. It's not. It's intended to level the playing field with greenfield development that is easier to finance and doesn't have to significantly modify aging infrastructure. Period. It isn't debatable because it isn't a handout. You're flat out wrong if you say otherwise.
Greenfield development is cheap because of corporate welfare in the form of expensive infrastructure build out. Without which people couldn't drive to their new buildings without sewage service. So TIF levels the playing field with other corporate welfare.

Your comment ignores the $150-200 million in streetcar build out.

If our only 2 options are welfare for rich people out west or rich people in the city. Then rich in the city is probably better. $150 million in Metro's budget or OPS funding would help people who actually need it.
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OmahaJaysCU
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by OmahaJaysCU »

Can't say I've ever heard anyone call SIDS or pioneering utilities corporate welfare before. Also I wasn't even talking about the streetcar. That's an entirely separate issue.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by choke »

Dundeemaha wrote:If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
Per Christopher Burbach / World-Herald staff writer:
Jerram noted that details on funding a streetcar and street improvements are yet to be worked out.
Can't Omaha just make Mexico pay for the streetcar?
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by iamjacobm »

I am glad the city is going to work on its zoning regulations. They can be a big pain in the |expletive| and stifle development a lot of times.

If you really want to unlock projects over 5 floors you need to slash parking minimums and allow for development that may seem out of scale today, but will be the standard scale a decade or two from now.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by GRANDPASMUCKER »

choke wrote:
Dundeemaha wrote:If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
Per Christopher Burbach / World-Herald staff writer:
Jerram noted that details on funding a streetcar and street improvements are yet to be worked out.
Can't Omaha just make Mexico pay for the streetcar?
We probably could of built 3 street car systems already if we still had all of the money the illegals have drained and sucked out of the school systems, medicaid and welfare! :yes:
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by Professor Woland »

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:
choke wrote:
Dundeemaha wrote:If the city puts up the majority of the money for the streetcar and provides TIF for building this area out when the main lobbyists, Mutual, UNMC, and Kiewit stand to make millions in development this will be an especially galling example of corporate welfare.

These developers should be putting substantial money toward this. If they do I'm all for it
Per Christopher Burbach / World-Herald staff writer:
Jerram noted that details on funding a streetcar and street improvements are yet to be worked out.
Can't Omaha just make Mexico pay for the streetcar?
We probably could of built 3 street car systems already if we still had all of the money the illegals have drained and sucked out of the school systems, medicaid and welfare! :yes:
There are competing opinions on this, but the consensus among economists (not a liberal group except for a couple of wacky outliers) is that undocumented workers are one of the few categories of people who are net tax payers and not tax consumers. Obviously it's possible the consensus is wrong, but it is most likely the case that the undocumented construction worker or hotel maid is doing more to subsidize us than we are them.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by Coyote »

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:We probably could of built 3 street car systems already if we still had all of the money the illegals have drained and sucked out of the school systems, medicaid and welfare! :yes:
Grandpa went there...
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by choke »

The 2050 group hopes to start construction for the streetcar within the next 5 years and have plans for it delivered to the Mayor's office by this summer. This is according to KETV channel 7. Sounds like "pie-in-the-sky" but you never know with legitimate players in the mix.

http://www.ketv.com/article/group-launc ... ar/8679464
Last edited by choke on Sun Feb 05, 2017 10:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by buildomaha »

It seems like so many groups are announcing big plans right now. I don't know if it mayor Stothert pushing for development or if the developers really see that much demand in Omaha but its great.
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Re: Midtown 2050

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In the picture on the OWH artical, the building next to the blackstone building has WOWT in the windows... :?: :shock:
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by Brad »

It was good seeing Bill Burbach from the Crescent Moon on WOWT tonight talking about Midtown 2015. He is one of the many pioneers of Faram Street.
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Re: Destination Midtown

Post by choke »

GRANDPASMUCKER wrote:
We probably could of built 3 street car systems already if we still had all of the money the illegals have drained and sucked out of the school systems, medicaid and welfare! :yes:

Uh, surely you are talking about the lazy lot of people standing on street corners asking for money and not the hard working illegal immigrants who silently work 2 or 3 jobs in the shadows. :yes:
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by iamjacobm »

Some images and maps here.

Feels a little like the cool images that were drawn up for NDT a decade ago, hope it comes together a little better here.

https://www.midtownvision2050.org/
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Brad
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by Brad »

iamjacobm wrote:Some images and maps here.

Feels a little like the cool images that were drawn up for NDT a decade ago, hope it comes together a little better here.

https://www.midtownvision2050.org/
Still love the idea of a park covering up I480.
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by iamjacobm »

Brad wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:Some images and maps here.

Feels a little like the cool images that were drawn up for NDT a decade ago, hope it comes together a little better here.

https://www.midtownvision2050.org/
Still love the idea of a park covering up I480.
Totally agree, I have mentioned it before but Klyde Warren Park in Dallas has been a huge boon to the area.

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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by Taco »

From a planning perspective, I really don't know what you can argue with - everything looks great. Now (obviously) the real question is how do we build upon this momentum? I would say start by relaxing zoning laws and leaning more towards form-based codes.

As an aside, it is really interesting how many distinct areas in town are jostling to be the hot spot for investment. Based on proximity to employment and the players at hand, I'd have to give midtown an edge over the rest, but still...we've got Little Italy, La Vista, North Downtown, Aksarben/Crossroads, Boys Town, the proposed "main streets" out West. Is Omaha at the point where it can have multiple "hot" areas? And if so, how many?
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by Athomsfere »

Taco wrote:From a planning perspective, I really don't know what you can argue with - everything looks great. Now (obviously) the real question is how do we build upon this momentum? I would say start by relaxing zoning laws and leaning more towards form-based codes.

As an aside, it is really interesting how many distinct areas in town are jostling to be the hot spot for investment. Based on proximity to employment and the players at hand, I'd have to give midtown an edge over the rest, but still...we've got Little Italy, La Vista, North Downtown, Aksarben/Crossroads, Boys Town, the proposed "main streets" out West. Is Omaha at the point where it can have multiple "hot" areas? And if so, how many?
I'd vote yes, and a lot.

None of these are huge projects, like a Shimizu Mega Pyramid... None of them are out pacing Omaha's growth from what I can see. And none of them are too far out from where people already are.
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Re: Midtown 2050

Post by bigredmed »

Athomsfere wrote:
Taco wrote:From a planning perspective, I really don't know what you can argue with - everything looks great. Now (obviously) the real question is how do we build upon this momentum? I would say start by relaxing zoning laws and leaning more towards form-based codes.

As an aside, it is really interesting how many distinct areas in town are jostling to be the hot spot for investment. Based on proximity to employment and the players at hand, I'd have to give midtown an edge over the rest, but still...we've got Little Italy, La Vista, North Downtown, Aksarben/Crossroads, Boys Town, the proposed "main streets" out West. Is Omaha at the point where it can have multiple "hot" areas? And if so, how many?
I'd vote yes, and a lot.

None of these are huge projects, like a Shimizu Mega Pyramid... None of them are out pacing Omaha's growth from what I can see. And none of them are too far out from where people already are.
Socially, Omaha has been evolving in this direction for a while. People used to go from Benson to 16th and Dodge to buy stuff, now they don't want to bother. Same with the farther out locales. Who wants to drive from 180th and Q to 10th and Howard to have a beer? Doing so means driving and parking hassle and driving past lots of perfectly fine places to have a beer in between.

As long as these centers are developed by people who are clear thinking and know their realistic market (and market share), you could get a lot of these and have all of them do well. We also need to have some patience with the developers (and redevelopers) as we learned from Countryside Village where lots of old shops moved out and there was sturm and drang over the impending collapse of the mall only to see it bloom again as an entertainment destination.
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