Leytham, A New Traditional Neighborhood
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Greetings to all;
Harpoon states that there is no demand for compact, walkable, mix-use neighborhoods like Leytham on the suburban fringe. Â I can assure him and all of you that there is a very great and rapidly growing demand for such neighborhoods all over the rural to urban transect, from rural areas to suburbia to the urban core. Â To satatisfy this large and growing demand there is a wide array of new urban development types including:
Adaptive reuse of existing structures: Â Example - old red brick warehouses converted into retail, offices, apartments above first floor retail like Tip Top
Redevelopment: Examples - Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village
Urban Infill: Â Development of vacant parcels that were passed over
Greyfields: Â Redevelopment of abandoned or under-utilized shopping centers (like Crossroads someday????) and “ghost boxes” (a.k.a. defunct “big box“ stores)
Brownfields: Â Redevelopment of industrial sites: Â Examples - Riverfront Place and the Rows at SOMA
Greenfields: Â Conservation neighborhoods and new traditional neighborhoods (TNDs) on agricultural land: Â Example - Leytham
New traditional neighborhood developments on the suburban fringe have found very great success all over the country. Â I have been to many of them in my travels. Â I have seen their success, and I have become convinced the demand is there. Â If I were not convinced that there is great demand for a well executed greenfield TND in Omaha (as there is everywehre else - why would Omaha be any different?), I would not have spent the last three years on Leytham. Â
Not everyone who wants to live in a compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood wants to live in the central core of the city. Â I have seen very successful greenfield new tratitional neighbohoods in the suburubs and on the fringes of Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Des Moines, Denver, Montgomery and Birmingham, AL, Orlando and other places. Â
One of the most successfull is New Town at St. Charles, outside of St. Charles, Mo. which is outside of St. Louis. Â If one does a google earch fly-by to New Town at St. Charles, he/she will see just where it is and what one drives by to get to it. Â Start your google earth tour at I70 and MO state highway 370. Â Follow 370 northeast to Elm Street. Â Then follow Elm/New Town Boulevard to the neighborhood. Â Go ahead now . . . Â dive right down to about 1,500 feet elevation. Â The picture is very clear. Â See what is along the way to New Town at St. Charles. Â Take a good, close look then realize the fact in the next paragraph.
Despite its location and all that you drive by to get there, because of wonderful design and excellent execution, New Town at St. Charles was named the top-selling development out of 17,280 developments in a region that includes all or part of 16 states, according to a survey by MarketGraphics, a market research firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Â This was reported in the April/May 2006 issue of New Urban News. Â Check out the New Town at St. Charles web site here: http://www.newtownatstcharles.com/. Â
Naturally the terrible economy that has devistated real estate sales across the country has hurt sales in TNDs too. Â But all reports indicate that sales in TNDs are holding up much better than sales in conventional suburban mono-cultures of single purpose, single price point sprawl development.
The good news is that the credit freeze and the decline of the real estate markets are coming to an end, and so soon (the SID fiscal agent-gods willing) Leytham can begin. Â Till then, I keep working behind the scenes to make Leytham an even more wonderful project. Â More to follow on that . . .
Yours for the walkable, compact, mixed-use GREENFIELD neighborhood,
Herb
Harpoon states that there is no demand for compact, walkable, mix-use neighborhoods like Leytham on the suburban fringe. Â I can assure him and all of you that there is a very great and rapidly growing demand for such neighborhoods all over the rural to urban transect, from rural areas to suburbia to the urban core. Â To satatisfy this large and growing demand there is a wide array of new urban development types including:
Adaptive reuse of existing structures: Â Example - old red brick warehouses converted into retail, offices, apartments above first floor retail like Tip Top
Redevelopment: Examples - Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village
Urban Infill: Â Development of vacant parcels that were passed over
Greyfields: Â Redevelopment of abandoned or under-utilized shopping centers (like Crossroads someday????) and “ghost boxes” (a.k.a. defunct “big box“ stores)
Brownfields: Â Redevelopment of industrial sites: Â Examples - Riverfront Place and the Rows at SOMA
Greenfields: Â Conservation neighborhoods and new traditional neighborhoods (TNDs) on agricultural land: Â Example - Leytham
New traditional neighborhood developments on the suburban fringe have found very great success all over the country. Â I have been to many of them in my travels. Â I have seen their success, and I have become convinced the demand is there. Â If I were not convinced that there is great demand for a well executed greenfield TND in Omaha (as there is everywehre else - why would Omaha be any different?), I would not have spent the last three years on Leytham. Â
Not everyone who wants to live in a compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood wants to live in the central core of the city. Â I have seen very successful greenfield new tratitional neighbohoods in the suburubs and on the fringes of Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Des Moines, Denver, Montgomery and Birmingham, AL, Orlando and other places. Â
One of the most successfull is New Town at St. Charles, outside of St. Charles, Mo. which is outside of St. Louis. Â If one does a google earch fly-by to New Town at St. Charles, he/she will see just where it is and what one drives by to get to it. Â Start your google earth tour at I70 and MO state highway 370. Â Follow 370 northeast to Elm Street. Â Then follow Elm/New Town Boulevard to the neighborhood. Â Go ahead now . . . Â dive right down to about 1,500 feet elevation. Â The picture is very clear. Â See what is along the way to New Town at St. Charles. Â Take a good, close look then realize the fact in the next paragraph.
Despite its location and all that you drive by to get there, because of wonderful design and excellent execution, New Town at St. Charles was named the top-selling development out of 17,280 developments in a region that includes all or part of 16 states, according to a survey by MarketGraphics, a market research firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Â This was reported in the April/May 2006 issue of New Urban News. Â Check out the New Town at St. Charles web site here: http://www.newtownatstcharles.com/. Â
Naturally the terrible economy that has devistated real estate sales across the country has hurt sales in TNDs too. Â But all reports indicate that sales in TNDs are holding up much better than sales in conventional suburban mono-cultures of single purpose, single price point sprawl development.
The good news is that the credit freeze and the decline of the real estate markets are coming to an end, and so soon (the SID fiscal agent-gods willing) Leytham can begin. Â Till then, I keep working behind the scenes to make Leytham an even more wonderful project. Â More to follow on that . . .
Yours for the walkable, compact, mixed-use GREENFIELD neighborhood,
Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Doesn't do anything for me either. Where is the transit service? Non-existent. Nice architecture and pretty drawings, but once you get out of the garage, down the alley, and out of the subdivision it will dawn on you pretty fast that you live in suburbia! This makes no more sense than the condo and apartment units along Maple that should have been built along a street-car or light-rail line near downtown.DTO Luv wrote:I still don't think it's all that great. Doesn't do much for me.
How many units with no garage? That wasn't unusual in real the 1920's streetcar suburbs.
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Leytham's new website has launched!
Check it out at http://www.Leytham.com and let me know what you think.
Check it out at http://www.Leytham.com and let me know what you think.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
I don't think that is a valid point criticizing Leytham for conditions outside of the proposed development which are beyond its control. Leytham will be better suited to accommodate connections to mass transit than other typical suburban developments, once such mass transit exists. The fact that it is a denser development will help encourage extending mass transit into the suburbs. Leytham will serve as a good  example of how other future suburban developments should be done. But don't blame Leytham for mistakes of the past.mrdwhsr wrote:Doesn't do anything for me either. Where is the transit service? Non-existent. Nice architecture and pretty drawings, but once you get out of the garage, down the alley, and out of the subdivision it will dawn on you pretty fast that you live in suburbia! This makes no more sense than the condo and apartment units along Maple that should have been built along a street-car or light-rail line near downtown.DTO Luv wrote:I still don't think it's all that great. Doesn't do much for me.
How many units with no garage? That wasn't unusual in real the 1920's streetcar suburbs.
Also, I can't think of any examples of Benson or Dundee residences that didn't have at least a one-car garage. There are a few apartments with no garages, but also some with limited garages, such as the Elwood & Ambassador at 49th & Dodge. It would be unrealistic for Leytham to not offer garages, at least until mass transit is well established, in my opinion.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
...and then they were gone.
- nativeomahan
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Here is the Lot Type Key for the Leytham Site Plan:
From this table you can see the size of each lot type, the number of lots by type and phase and the lot counts. Â
Remember that in addition to the 514 single family lots, there are an additional 330 multi-family apartment and condominium dwelling units that will be built on the 16 multi-family and on the 20 flex lots over retail, service and office uses. Â And in addition to all of that are the accessory dwellings over garages in the alleys. Â All-in-all, Leytham could have nearly 900 dwelling units when it is completely built out. Â That is about 5.6 dwelling units per acre gross (900/160 acres). Â Compare that to Straford Park, a 160 acre conventional suburban subdivision just west of Leytham with 362 lots, or 2.26 dwelling units per acre gross. Computed on a "net site area" basis (gross site area less the natural and civic areas and street/alley right of ways), Leytham's density is 11.4 dwelling units per acre (900/79 net site acres). Â
And remember that there are 32.9 acres of natural area, civic space and community green space in Leytham. Â That is nearly 21% of the 160 acre gross site area of the neighborhood. This is how you get a more houses with smaller yards and yet more usable green space all at once. Â
And, yes, my home, which will become The Commons at Leytham, is in the large, oval-shaped civic lot in the center of the site plan
Yours for the walkable, compact, mixed use neighborhood . . . even on the urban fringe.
Herb
From this table you can see the size of each lot type, the number of lots by type and phase and the lot counts. Â
Remember that in addition to the 514 single family lots, there are an additional 330 multi-family apartment and condominium dwelling units that will be built on the 16 multi-family and on the 20 flex lots over retail, service and office uses. Â And in addition to all of that are the accessory dwellings over garages in the alleys. Â All-in-all, Leytham could have nearly 900 dwelling units when it is completely built out. Â That is about 5.6 dwelling units per acre gross (900/160 acres). Â Compare that to Straford Park, a 160 acre conventional suburban subdivision just west of Leytham with 362 lots, or 2.26 dwelling units per acre gross. Computed on a "net site area" basis (gross site area less the natural and civic areas and street/alley right of ways), Leytham's density is 11.4 dwelling units per acre (900/79 net site acres). Â
And remember that there are 32.9 acres of natural area, civic space and community green space in Leytham. Â That is nearly 21% of the 160 acre gross site area of the neighborhood. This is how you get a more houses with smaller yards and yet more usable green space all at once. Â
And, yes, my home, which will become The Commons at Leytham, is in the large, oval-shaped civic lot in the center of the site plan
Yours for the walkable, compact, mixed use neighborhood . . . even on the urban fringe.
Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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- Home Owners Association
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To get into a great new traditional neighborhood like Leytham, MrPoloShirt, how far north and/or south of Dodge would you be willing to consider? Â The only remaining larger parcels for development east of 120th are (considered by some) to be pretty far to either the north or south. Â I am just curious about your "range" . . . Â for the next "Leytham." Â What do you think of Sarpy county east of 120th, but pretty far south?MrPoloShirt wrote:If this development was east of 120th, I would be saving up every penny right now.
THe architecture looks great, it would be great. I wish it luck though.
And thanks for your comments on the architecture and your well wishes, too.
Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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What size are you thinking, Big E? ÂBig E wrote:Is there nothing left in North O that couldn't be purchased and redeveloped relatively affordably?Herb wrote:The only remaining larger parcels for development east of 120th are (considered by some) to be pretty far to either the north or south.
I was referring to "subdivison-size" tracts. There are, of course, a number of smaller, infill and redevelopment sites, but they are quite small (even down to the individual lot size). Â I was approached by a fellow developer looking for a close-in, 30 acre site for a mixed-use project that would include some live/work units as well as co-housing, and he could not find any well-located, suitable sites even relatively "close-in." Â He told me that not even the city planning department had any thing to suggest to him. Â
If you have any ideas for well-located, suitable redevelopment and infill sites, please suggest them. Â There are people looking . . . .
Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE 68007
402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
The area around the proposed Royals ballpark along 370 has that potential, there is a bunch of open land to the east of that site that would be appropriate for a development of this type.Herb wrote:To get into a great new traditional neighborhood like Leytham, MrPoloShirt, how far north and/or south of Dodge would you be willing to consider? The only remaining larger parcels for development east of 120th are (considered by some) to be pretty far to either the north or south. I am just curious about your "range" . . . for the next "Leytham." What do you think of Sarpy county east of 120th, but pretty far south?MrPoloShirt wrote:If this development was east of 120th, I would be saving up every penny right now.
THe architecture looks great, it would be great. I wish it luck though.
And thanks for your comments on the architecture and your well wishes, too.
Herb
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I would not go further west than 120th and nowhere outside of Douglas county.Herb wrote:To get into a great new traditional neighborhood like Leytham, MrPoloShirt, how far north and/or south of Dodge would you be willing to consider? The only remaining larger parcels for development east of 120th are (considered by some) to be pretty far to either the north or south. I am just curious about your "range" . . . for the next "Leytham." What do you think of Sarpy county east of 120th, but pretty far south?MrPoloShirt wrote:If this development was east of 120th, I would be saving up every penny right now.
THe architecture looks great, it would be great. I wish it luck though.
And thanks for your comments on the architecture and your well wishes, too.
Herb
I would recommend making it a bit smaller and just hear me out, and this has been my idea for years, buy a golf course owned by the city of Omaha.
Omaha needs to get rid of these golf courses like Benson, Johnny GOodman........AND MY KICKER Elmwood Park.
Everything east of that street that cuts north through Elmwood around 65th street should be sold to a development like this.
It's not the city's job to entertain people, we don't need golf courses, that's lost tax revenue for the city.
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You personally might not mind living in that area, but most Omahans who can afford a house like the ones proposed here do not want to live in North or South Omaha.Harpoon wrote:
The area around the proposed Royals ballpark along 370 has that potential, there is a bunch of open land to the east of that site that would be appropriate for a development of this type.
You have to put yourself in other people's shoes in a realistic manner. Â Not everyone want to gentrify.
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Please please if you can suggest it, GOLF COURSES.Herb wrote: If you have any ideas for well-located, suitable redevelopment and infill sites, please suggest them. There are people looking . . . .
Get rid of 90% of all city owned courses.
Elmwood Park and FIELD CLUB.
Field Club would make a great place for this. The city should not be in the entertainment business.
Even some privately owned courses would work if you offered enough like Ironwood or Miracle Hills.
- OmahaJaysCU
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Roads also lose the city money, but you don't see them slowing down on those. Â They are a necessity, you say? Â Well aren't golf courses a necessity? Â Do out of town visitors not like going golfing while in town? Â People already |expletive| about there not being anything to do in Omaha, and if you make nearly every course private (by eliminating 90% of the other ones), it would definitely hamper people's spirits here. Â I like golfing. Â I like that there are reasonably priced courses. Â Privately owned = more expensive. Â I'm not saying that 1 or 2 here or there couldn't stand to be closed to save on expenses, but shutting down virtually all of them is stupid...no matter what the savings would be.
Go Cubs Go
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Your statement ids ridiculous.thenewguy wrote:Roads also lose the city money, but you don't see them slowing down on those. They are a necessity, you say? Well aren't golf courses a necessity? Do out of town visitors not like going golfing while in town? People already |expletive| about there not being anything to do in Omaha, and if you make nearly every course private (by eliminating 90% of the other ones), it would definitely hamper people's spirits here. I like golfing. I like that there are reasonably priced courses. Privately owned = more expensive. I'm not saying that 1 or 2 here or there couldn't stand to be closed to save on expenses, but shutting down virtually all of them is stupid...no matter what the savings would be.
There are plenty of private courses, probably more private ones than public. Â FURTHERMORE, golf is NOT a necessity.
Do you have any idea how much lost property tax revenue is lost because the city thinks it's the tax payers job to fund golf?
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"Elmwood is the best" Â What kind of argument is that?OmahaJaysCU wrote:Wow, you want to get rid of some of the most unique courses in Omaha? You are absolutely crazy, Elmwood is the best!
Can you give me a logic reason why we shouldn't get rid of it? Â You cannot.
Millions of tax revenue is lost because of this mindset.
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I never said we needed them. I simply said that I would rather see this type of development in a place like DTO suggested. I would rather redevelop an area like the junkyard between 15th and 17th or the space along Abbott instead of messing with an area like Elmwood golf course.MrPoloShirt wrote:Give me a solid factual statement based on logic and numbers that says this.ShawJ wrote:No need to get rid of the Elmwood or Field Club golf courses.
"Oh we need them." Why? Blind statement from someone who has been brainwashed to think it's the government's job to entertain people.
I don't think any residential developer could handle buying out Ironwood of all places in this market. You would effectively price people out of your homes if you were looking to turn a profit.MrPoloShirt wrote:
Even some privately owned courses would work if you offered enough like Ironwood or Miracle Hills.
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Herb's development is much like a "village" I don't think that would go well in an area around there. Â Maybe townhouses might be okay, but I would never live in a development like that so close to such very urban areas.ShawJ wrote:I never said we needed them. I simply said that I would rather see this type of development in a place like DTO suggested. I would rather redevelop an area like the junkyard between 15th and 17th or the space along Abbott instead of messing with an area like Elmwood golf course.MrPoloShirt wrote:Give me a solid factual statement based on logic and numbers that says this.ShawJ wrote:No need to get rid of the Elmwood or Field Club golf courses.
"Oh we need them." Why? Blind statement from someone who has been brainwashed to think it's the government's job to entertain people.
But come on, Field Club. Â Forget Elmwood Park. Â You cannot possibly say we need to keep Field Club. Â That would be the perfect spot for this development.
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