Omaha Forums

This surprised me.

The med center also is looking at developing the old Omaha Steel Casting site at 46th and Farnam with housing, restaurants, stores and a hotel.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/it-s-ti ... e38ca.html

frankt wrote:This surprised me.

The med center also is looking at developing the old Omaha Steel Casting site at 46th and Farnam with housing, restaurants, stores and a hotel.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/it-s-ti ... e38ca.html

Hasn't there been at least rumors of UNMC building a mixed-use development here for a while?

How would that work in reality? I can't imagine they'd be the owner and manager, but arrange some kind of long-term lease agreement for the property to a developer and real estate management firm, right?

There has been a lot torn down here recently.

iamjacobm wrote:There has been a lot torn down here recently.

Drove by yesterday, hard to believe. I think the lot looks smaller without the buildings.

1.

Can't wait to see a plan for it all.

The ACE Rent to Own sticks out like a sore thumb cause it is all blocked off from the fences surrounding it.

Brad wrote:

iamjacobm wrote:There has been a lot torn down here recently.

Drove by yesterday, hard to believe. I think the lot looks smaller without the buildings.

Funny I had the exact opposite thought. Never realized how far back it goes from Saddle Creek.

Anyone heard anything more on this? It looks like they have all but a couple of the building torn down in there. This could be a really cool development area.

Aerial Photo Update.

All that land that's going to make a nice parking lot.

MTO wrote:All that land that's going to make a nice parking lot.

Looking at the photo, looks like most of it is already used as a parking lot...

All the construction workers park here.

iamjacobm wrote:All the construction workers park here.

Yeah, that's where all the craft workers for the FPBCC project park. I doubt you'll see much go on here until that project is winding down. The latest talk I've heard is that UNMC wants to develop this area with commercial, retail, and service businesses that will serve the Nebraska Med patients and families (i.e. restaurants, haircuts, etc). I don't know if it will be just more strip-mall styled places like Saddle Creek north of Dodge, but I have to imagine they'd place some focus on pedestrian connectivity to the campus, since that would be convenient, and I doubt they want to encourage more people driving around the campus short distances clogging up the streets if they don't need to.

It would be awesome if they could do something like this in that last building standing:

http://www.thesourcedenver.com/

Basically, they took an old iron foundry in Denver and made it into a bunch of high end shops and restaurants.

Ramlco wrote:It would be awesome if they could do something like this in that last building standing:

http://www.thesourcedenver.com/

Basically, they took an old iron foundry in Denver and made it into a bunch of high end shops and restaurants.

I wouldn't mind seeing that! I really like that building.

As a backup plan, something like the shops around Aksarben Would be nice too.

Are they no longer planning to expand the NU Med Center to the west? I thought this property was involved in those plans.

GReg

I think someone on here made the comment that a lot of dirt could need to be hauled away or capped here b/c of the work that was being done for decades on the land.

My guess would be that some form of pond/park space for flood prevention goes in. A mix of retail, apartments and hotels fill out the site. Not sure if Office would be a big component here or not. How urban the design is really anyone's guess. I hope there will be structured parking to use the land more efficiently, but who knows what is more important to Nebraska Med.

iamjacobm wrote: My guess would be that some form of pond/park space for flood prevention goes in. A mix of retail, apartments and hotels fill out the site. Not sure if Office would be a big component here or not. How urban the design is really anyone's guess. I hope there will be structured parking to use the land more efficiently, but who knows what is more important to Nebraska Med.

UNMC makes huge efforts to be urban and progressive in order to attract doctors and medical students from afar to Nebraska. My guess is that this development will have an urban feel, but it'll be a wait because they want to do it right. Flood prevention will be a necessity, it'd be a plus if that is done through park space.

Taco wrote:

iamjacobm wrote: My guess would be that some form of pond/park space for flood prevention goes in. A mix of retail, apartments and hotels fill out the site. Not sure if Office would be a big component here or not. How urban the design is really anyone's guess. I hope there will be structured parking to use the land more efficiently, but who knows what is more important to Nebraska Med.

UNMC makes huge efforts to be urban and progressive in order to attract doctors and medical students from afar to Nebraska. My guess is that this development will have an urban feel, but it'll be a wait because they want to do it right. Flood prevention will be a necessity, it'd be a plus if that is done through park space.

Saddlecreek road wants to border the cemetary and leave lots of space for more research space. The space where the current road is would be great for a series of ponds that interlock like heck Creek through Sterling Ridge. The ponds will hold back water and act as water features, yet be connected in a way that floods will simply flow through quickly. Parklike space around them.

What was the last we heard about moving Saddle Creek? Can it even be done now with all the new fast food places in the way? Have we ever seen plans on how/where it might be moved?

The project got a couple million dollars back in 2007 for HDR to do a study on it. I really haven't seen anything significant on it after 2007.

http://app1.unmc.edu/PublicAffairs/Toda ... match=3993

This is the only other thing I can remember seeing. Obviously old and plans change, but kind of gives you an idea of what UNMC have in mind as far as future growth and Saddle Creek realignment.

Ah yes, I remember that map. Thanks for finding that!
Unfortunately that only shows south of Farnam.
The major problem solving will be north.

A lot has changed since that site plan from the old 2005-2015 master plan (which, BTW, when are they releasing an updated one?). The cancer center, which wasn't even on the old master plan, will provided a lot of the new research space they were looking to build, and my impression is that they're now looking to put any future dedicated research space down the hill from Emile on either the surface lot or the old OPPD building they acquired.

I think the Saddle Creek relocation has a pretty slim chance of actually happening. Too much cost and coordination for something that people only realize is a problem on rare occasions.

It sure would make for a better campus setting though.

I don't know their name, but I heard Nebraska Med is going to have a group out of Denver develop this area.

The property is just about all cleaned out.

I noticed all that digging around there. I was wondering what is going on...

I love that UNMC area. It's become a decent, nice clump of high rises.

iamjacobm wrote:I don't know their name, but I heard Nebraska Med is going to have a group out of Denver develop this area.

Who is partnering with a key local developer. Haven't heard when it will be announced but they've been awarded the project.

OmahaJaysCU wrote:

iamjacobm wrote:I don't know their name, but I heard Nebraska Med is going to have a group out of Denver develop this area.

Who is partnering with a key local developer. Haven't heard when it will be announced but they've been awarded the project.

What ever happened with this?

There's been very little activity on the site. This weekend I saw a forklift moving some stuff out of the west building into the east, but that's about it.

Talked with someone at UNMC today. Asked about the old steel plant. Said it was still a go. Believes the current hold up is that they want to acquire ALL the property before starting.

Aerial Photo from my flight this fall:

1.

Short blurb in OWH today about this property. Said they want to delay a decision on potentially converting Farnam for a couple of months to find out more about the board of regents' plans for this property. Likely just another "6-8 weeks" type deal, but good to hear something.

Taco wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 7:37 am Short blurb in OWH today about this property. Said they want to delay a decision on potentially converting Farnam for a couple of months to find out more about the board of regents' plans for this property. Likely just another "6-8 weeks" type deal, but good to hear something.

What does converting Farnam entail?

Louie wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 12:54 pm

Taco wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 7:37 am Short blurb in OWH today about this property. Said they want to delay a decision on potentially converting Farnam for a couple of months to find out more about the board of regents' plans for this property. Likely just another "6-8 weeks" type deal, but good to hear something.

What does converting Farnam entail?

Want to stop switching traffic on Farnam west of Saddle Creek to east of Happy Hollow to one way traffic for morning and afternoon rush hours. According to the article they may have to add turn lanes at 50th & 52nd. Maybe adding a parking lot, tour bus parking & grandstands by Warren’s house. Actually the last bit was my pathetic attempt at humor.

hatwate wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 1:35 pm

Louie wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 12:54 pm

Taco wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2019 7:37 am Short blurb in OWH today about this property. Said they want to delay a decision on potentially converting Farnam for a couple of months to find out more about the board of regents' plans for this property. Likely just another "6-8 weeks" type deal, but good to hear something.

What does converting Farnam entail?

Want to stop switching traffic on Farnam west of Saddle Creek to east of Happy Hollow to one way traffic for morning and afternoon rush hours. According to the article they may have to add turn lanes at 50th & 52nd. Maybe adding a parking lot, tour bus parking & grandstands by Warren’s house. Actually the last bit was my pathetic attempt at humor.

I appreciate the effort. Gonna squeeze a few yards on those intersections, though. Gosh they might have to tear down a house or two.

The next street over, Dodge, doesn't have turn lanes and it is illegal to turn. But Farnam has to have specific turn lanes? Give me a break. Folks can do 3 rights.

If they're going to put in center turn lanes they could just get rid of the right turn lanes at those intersections. No reason to have those.

Anyone watching KETV right now???