From the Daily Nonpareil
Future plans for the Omni Centre
The future of the Omni Centre looks bright.
Don Coats, president of Omni Centre LLC, said that the building will have to take a different approach for the future.
Currently, the Omni Center is at 80 percent capacity, which means that 320,000 square feet of the 400,000-square-foot facility are occupied.
"I don't think that we are going to see the large amounts of square footage leased to one occupant, as we did in the past," he said.
As a result, Coats has switched his focus into splitting up the bulk of the former Acceptance Insurance Co.
"Right now we are in the process of dividing up the upstairs of the Younkers building. The Visiting Nurses Association has expanded from their 4,500 square feet on the east end of the mall, to around 10,000 square feet on the second floor of the Younkers building," Coats said.
The VNA has been an extensive build out, according to Coats, but has also given him the vision for the future of the space.
The remaining 20,000 square feet can be divided into office spaces, built to suit the demands of tenants, and Coats is looking into extending a ramp from the parking garage directly into the building.
"We have a lot of options up here. There are plenty of windows, so no matter how we divide the space, there will be plenty of light," Coats said.
Options, in the commercial real estate business, are good.
"If you're looking for larger office space in town, there are not too many places to choose from, and the Omni Centre, and Don, are able to divide space to meet the needs of any customer," said Mark Norman, director of business development for the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce.
There is also more potential in the remaining 10,000 to 11,000 square feet available next to American Republic Insurance Co.
"It's a nice space, and I think that for the time being we are not going to break it up. It would be a great place for a larger business to lease," Coats said.
The remaining vacant 50,000 square feet is located in the Sears building; more space left by the downsizing of Acceptance.
Coats said that he foresees the building will be split up as well, creating more smaller spaces to be built-to-suit as businesses express interest.
Some might see the loss of a tenant as big as Acceptance as a devastating blow, but Coats seems to have found the "silver lining."
"We are at an advantage now. We can split up our space as needed, and that gives us a lot of flexibility," he said.
With the addition of Chance, Chance and Co., all of the space is leased at 25 and 35 Main Places.
The accounting firm is the Omni Centre's newest tenant.
Ed Chance said that they began to lease 800 square feet on the fourth floor of 25 Main Place in the beginning of August.
Their move was precipitated when the Bar'nards building, owned and occupied by Chance, was sold to an Omaha development company.
"We had to find a place to go, and quickly. The Omni Centre just worked out for the best," Chance said.
Moving forward, Coats said that he plans on doing a major capital improvement every year, including updated landscaping and planters.
"It's important to keep the atmosphere clean and inviting," Coats said.
"It feels like a business campus, not a converted mall," Norman said.
"They deliver a secure, active environment, and employees don't feel isolated," he added.
The environment, the atmosphere and the ability to adapt have helped the Omni Centre grow into the premier downtown anchor.
"We were shocked by the Acceptance situation, but we are continuing to whittle away at the space left vacant," Coats said.
As the sun has set on another stormy chapter in the building's 30-year existence, the future is aglow with possibilities.
Council Bluffs Community Health Services is thinking of expanding over to the space formerly occupied by the VNA, and potentially offering a pharmacist and a mental health associate to its burgeoning list of services.
"Things are looking good; we have a law office moving into the old Excel space, and I am working harder now than I ever had," Coats said.
Justin Tabor, the son of the late John Tabor who co-founded the Omni Centre with Coats, has been working on special projects for the Centre.
"He's done such a great job for us. Sometimes I think that he is an exact clone of John. It's really fantastic to see," Coats said.
Many area residents and politicians are happy to see the success of the facility, and glad to hear that the building is rebounding from the loss of Acceptance.
However, opinions vary on what the Omni Centre should try to attract in the future.
Marlo McSpadden, who works downtown, said that she would like to see a craft store in the Omni Centre.
"It would be nice to have something like that downtown," she said.
Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan said that he hopes to see the group continue in its current direction.
"I think that they are on course. I would like to see some more good paying jobs come to the downtown, maybe in the insurance industry, perhaps along the lines of American Republic," Hanafan said.
"It's a great facility. Nice parking, a great atmosphere, the amenities are there for businesses to thrive," he added.
Tami Manz, a USBank employee, said that she would like to see a food court in the building.
"It would be nice to have some more options in the downtown area," Manz said.
Norman said that he would like to continue to see value-added businesses come to the community. Data processing, financial-related services and software industries were a couple that he would like to see occupy the Omni Centre.
"It is always the goal to get jobs that add value to the community through solid wages and advancement opportunities for our citizens," he said.