Sky-high plans for Tip-Top building
A building north of downtown known for making pink foam curlers and Model Ts now is envisioned as a place where kids, college students and tourists will climb a 75-foot rock wall and play dozens of virtual reality games.
The proposed $21.8 million project also would feature 96 loft apartments, an atrium under an original water tower and, in 25,000 square feet of adjacent new construction, a banquet and conference center.
If approved, the Ford/Tip Top project at 16th and Cuming Streets would be the first major project in an area north of downtown that city and business leaders have targeted for redevelopment.
The project, modeled on a year-old center in Peoria, Ill., is expected to appeal to college students from nearby Creighton University as well as families and tourists.
"We truly are an entity that doesn't exist in Omaha," said Mike Stessman, the Peoria developer and chief executive officer of inPlay, the entertainment part of the project.
NuStyle Development, downtown's busiest residential developer, is the building's owner and will develop the lofts.
Stessman grew up in Harrison County, Iowa, with NuStyle co-owners Todd Heistand and Tammy Barrett.
Stessman said he has long considered doing a project in Omaha and called the changes he's seen the past five years "absolutely phenomenal."
With the new Qwest Convention Center to the east and Cuming Street revamped to be a new route to the airport, the Ford/Tip Top building is in the middle of an area that city and business leaders want to see redeveloped.
Stessman said the building offers the perfect character for a family entertainment center and it, in turn, could be a seed to turn the north downtown area into an entertainment district.
Stessman said his Peoria business is largely driven by the banquet facilities that attract groups for family reunions, children's birthday parties, corporate outings and charity events because of the active indoor play opportunities next door.
The Omaha facility, to also include a sports bar, would feature $1.5 million of the latest in games and $500,000 in audio, video and wireless technology, Stessman said. He said the business would employ 15 to 20 people full time and more than 130 part time.
Stessman and his Omaha director of events, Alexandra Charpentier, envision working with hotels and Old Market merchants to offer package deals and shuttle services.
They said they hope to play off the building's history by preserving the black and white floor of the old Model T showroom as part of a three-quarter-scale NASCAR racing game.
The building on Cuming Street opened in 1916 as a factory for the Ford Motor Co., which closed in 1932. Its life as a manufacturing plant ended when the former Tip Top Co., maker of curlers and other hair accessories, moved its manufacturing overseas in 1986.
The building served as a tire warehouse until a 1998 fire.
Heistand bought the building and in 2000 considered turning it into office space that would support start-up Internet businesses. That idea crashed with the dot.com crash.
Wednesday, Heistand said that despite a number of announced condominium projects for downtown, a need remains for market-rent apartments.
He said the Model T Ford Lofts would feature heated underground parking, a fitness center, a rooftop garden and a suite that tenants can use for guests.
The two-bedroom, two-bath apartments on the second through fifth floors would have 10-foot-by-20-foot exterior windows and sliding walls and doors that allow residents to reconfigure their lofts.
Rents would range from $950 to $1,500 a month, Heistand said. He expects 20 percent to 30 percent of the renters to be Creighton students, with the balance being young professionals and empty nesters.
The developers said they are ready to proceed once they receive city approval of their plan, which includes a request for $1.84 million in tax-increment financing, or the use of future property taxes generated by the improvements to help fund the redevelopment.
The first step in city approval was scheduled Wednesday afternoon before the Planning Board. City planners have recommended approval.
The goal is a June 2005 opening. Stessman said he plans a pre-opening in which a different Omaha charity each night for 14 nights has use of the facility to raise funds and to give workers a chance to perfect service and equipment.
Let's kick off the North Downtown entertainment district
Moderators: Coyote, nebugeater, Brad, Omaha Cowboy, BRoss
Let's kick off the North Downtown entertainment district
Details emerge on the Tip Top building... this is pretty big.
Last edited by eomaha on Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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I wonder if they have permission to use that funky flash intro music. It's actually a pretty big house music song.
That's a cool looking development in Peoria..?? though. It looks like a great alternative to those big chain entertainment venues like Dave and Buster's and Gameworks.
Alcohol, arcade games, screaming kids running around and loud music. It all blends perfectly! A combined entertainment center and residential building seems to be a unique concept.
That's a cool looking development in Peoria..?? though. It looks like a great alternative to those big chain entertainment venues like Dave and Buster's and Gameworks.
Alcohol, arcade games, screaming kids running around and loud music. It all blends perfectly! A combined entertainment center and residential building seems to be a unique concept.
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Their Peoria residential flyer refers to 12-18" concrete floors ("excellent sound insulation")
http://www.inplaypeoria.com/maxquar/maxamsign.pdf
http://www.inplaypeoria.com/maxquar/maxamsign.pdf
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Of course, this is absolutely fantastic!
I'm so excited and happy that Omaha is finally to the point where developers are taking an interest in downtown again, based on the "momentum" of all that's happening. It's a really great situation. It makes for great "exponential" growth in urban development when companies start developing projects because other developers have made an investment in the area.
I'm so excited and happy that Omaha is finally to the point where developers are taking an interest in downtown again, based on the "momentum" of all that's happening. It's a really great situation. It makes for great "exponential" growth in urban development when companies start developing projects because other developers have made an investment in the area.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
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hmmm, that conference center needs a little spicing up.
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Actually, with North Downtown's current state, Creighton is a long, long way from being "landlocked" and forced to build up. North downtown is basically a clean slate. It's mostly vacant lots and delapidated buildings. Some of the buildings have potential for reuse, but many will be demolished. Point being, Creighton has TONS of space to grow...which doesn't necessarily mean that they will build low density, it just means they have a lot of land to work with.jays25ks wrote:And IMO, the way that creighton is beign boxed in so to speak, the only way that they will able to build soon would be ^up^.
Yeah, I think the overall appearance of the building in the rendering is a little lack-luster, but hey, it is what it is.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Not just lackluster... but how about the sprawling parking lot... this could be mistaken for a Howard Johnson's at 108th and L. It would have been nice if they could have run the entrance right up to Cuming street with the parking behind. There's a big empty lot immediately across the street full of potential... are they going to add another big parking lot there? I was sort of envisioning some SoMa like row houses somewhere in here. Apparently Heistand and Barrett's urban expertise is limited to interior rehab.
Oh well. Have to consider what we had before I guess.
Oh well. Have to consider what we had before I guess.
Well I mean if NDT kinda turns into an entertainment district with more of these types of developments, CU will be blocked in and would need to grow up. I didn't mean that this will happen soon but maybe in 15-20 years or so.Actually, with North Downtown's current state, Creighton is a long, long way from being "landlocked" and forced to build up. North downtown is basically a clean slate. It's mostly vacant lots and delapidated buildings. Some of the buildings have potential for reuse, but many will be demolished. Point being, Creighton has TONS of space to grow...which doesn't necessarily mean that they will build low density, it just means they have a lot of land to work with.
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I have no doubt that the use and impact this proposal would have if it came to fruition would be nothing but great for downtown, but there's nothing wrong with critiquing that rendering. It shows a very blah building that doesn't fit the scale of that neighborhood very well.
I'll agree that this is likely nothing more than a conceptual rendering. Hopefully, the city would never allow a building looking like that to be built in this area.
I'll agree that this is likely nothing more than a conceptual rendering. Hopefully, the city would never allow a building looking like that to be built in this area.
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