2016 Wish List

[Coyote]

OK, time to make wishes for the new year in Omaha.
My 2015 Wish List didn't do too well...
So I guess I will have to be more realistic this year.

Ok, time to make wishes for the new year in Omaha....

1) New Downtown Fortune 500 Headquarters
2) Visible progress on Wallstreet, Civic Center and Shamrock
3) Enough with studies, concrete Streetcar plans.
4) Tear down Storz and build us a riverfront to be proud of!

[RNcyanide]

1. More parking
2. More parking
3. Get rid of more old, ugly buildings
4. Continue caving in to private groups that want to steer development
5. More parking (just a little more)

How's that for realism?

[Coyote]

1) Restoration Exchange, the City of Omaha, OPA and HDR make a surprise announcement
2) More Development in the Blackstone District
3) Progress in the Year Round Farmer's Market
4) Storz property and the riverfront redeveloped (extending the riverfront sidewalk south past The Breakers).
5) Plans announced for the expansion of the CLink including the Baby Bob and Parking Garage on Lot D, paving the way for the development of Lot B
6) Announcement of a Huge new Sporting Event at the CLink

[Professor Woland]

1) Defeat of the Death Penalty (the good press this would provide would be priceless.)
2) A rash of streetcar related scandals and failures assuring we don't get one.
3) A major show at the Joslyn
4) That some money bags provides the money to relocate the three buildings by the Holland.
5) Continued population growth downtown.
6) Good weather all year, but especially during the NCAA basketball tournament, Berkshire weekend, CWS and Swim Trials.
7) Surprise announcement (a good one) regarding Lanoha.
The absolute failure of ConAgra.

[RNcyanide]

1) Defeat of the Death Penalty (the good press this would provide would be priceless.)

The absolute failure of ConAgra.

+10000000000

Based on the article in the OWH about their performance, they're actually doing well. I hope Connolly parts it out or sells them outright to somewhere else like he did to Hillshire.

[Taco]

Since this is a wish list, I'd like to offer up the caveat that I am saying things I want and are possible, but not necessarily very likely.

1) Groundbreaking for the new crossroads development.
2) A plan announced for the Lanoha Tower spot.
3) A tenant for the Waitt Plaza location in Aksarben.
4) Kyle Allen.
5) A new large-scale public art campaign in Omaha.

[Coyote]

3) A tenant for the Waitt Plaza location in Aksarben.

Jay Noddle told me he had three major tenants for this location and groundbreaking should begin this spring...

[Linkin5]

1) announcement of development on the arena parking lot
2) start.construction of the apartments and hotel on The Yard lot.
3) construction start on the swimming/tennis facility in La Vista theatre
4) Progress on the Benson Theatre
5) development of empty business fronts on Maple in Benson
6) surface lots by OM get announced they are building something

[Coyote]

4) Progress on the Benson Theatre

Denny Moran sells the Dundee Theatre to a group of Arts supporters and the Theatre opens with a $4.00 MidNight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Susan Sarandon signing her photos for fans at the Movie Memorabilia Store next door, free candy samples at Hollywood Candy next to that and $1.00 Sodas at eCreamery's refurbished Soda Fountain next to that.

[Linkin5]

4) Progress on the Benson Theatre

Denny Moran sells the Dundee Theatre to a group of Arts supporters and the Theatre opens with a $4.00 MidNight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Susan Sarandon signing her photos for fans at the Movie Memorabilia Store next door, and $1.00 Sodas at eCreamery's refurbished Soda Fountain next to that.

That would be...amazing.

[Taco]

3) A tenant for the Waitt Plaza location in Aksarben.

Jay Noddle told me he had three major tenants for this location and groundbreaking should begin this spring...

Incredible. Are they going with the current design or are there new plans yet to be released?

[Coyote]

Incredible. Are they going with the current design or are there new plans yet to be released?

The only design so far is the concept of building and garage... I'm sure we will see something within a few months though.
Also, we don't know the new name of the complex yet...

[nebraska]

1. 6-8 floor infill between 30-35th Streets, complements Midtown Crossing
2. NebMed announces Saddle Creek will get moved (south of Dodge, where the mill building was) and consequent 2 more DRC towers
3. Millard: The Lumberyard Phase 2 exploratory committee
4. Fun Plex's 2nd coaster is taller, faster than 1st one
5. City of Omaha releases 'Back To The River' master plan (from Anchor Inn to Marcy St, including reconnecting 8th and 9th St in HOAP)
6. City Council's new High Tech Incentive Plan for companies purchasing property east of I680
7. a coffeeshop or cafe closer to my apartment...

[Dark Eyes]

Just one.

Repair all the the potholes before Memorial Day.

[damonhynes]

1. Steak 'n Shake.
2. Finish the US-75/Platteview Rd./US-34 interchange.
3. Steak 'n Shake
4. Like to see Minsky's Pizza come up from KC.

[NovakOmaha]

Well it's a WISH list...

1) Southwest announces flights to Boston, Los Angeles, Orlando, BWI and Tampa and other airlines as well.
2) The Civic site and Lanoha start real construction
3) A mixed use announcement on Rick's Boatyard
4) REAL progress on North Downtown, not more suburban looking junk
6) Berkshire decides that it isn't a crime to either relocate a subsidiary or at least part of one.
7) Progress on Saddle Creek near the Med Center
Real progress on Crossroads
9) The Nebraska Furniture Mart suddenly discovers that its Omaha store is ugly and compared to its KC and Dallas stores is an embarrassment and announces a whole new store
10) Rapid Rail between Omaha and Lincoln

[GetUrban]

1. Historic preservation becomes in vogue among the movers, shakers, politicians, the wealthy, Aksarben Kings & Queens, the general public, and the poor.
2. Omaha gets a Frank Gehry-designed building....to replace the Civic or the former Rick's/Storz.
3. Crossroads redevelopment gets started.
4. The traffic lights on 72nd St. are re-timed for north-south traffic.
5. Hyvee builds near North Downtown and also at Sorenson Plaza.
6. People from Millard feel safe in North Omaha.
7. Zero murders are committed.
8. A previously relatively unknown company quickly expands and builds a new high-rise HQ on a vacant lot downtown.
9. Other already announced projects get rolling. Infill projects east of 72nd pick-up even more momentum.
10. The Specht, Alvine, & Happy Hollow Coffee buildings are saved and re-re-purposed.

and finally, the most improbable & impossible....Jobbers Canyon gets' rebuilt.

[GetUrban]

OK, time to make wishes for the new year in Omaha.
My 2015 Wish List didn't do too well...
So I guess I will have to be more realistic this year.

Ok, time to make wishes for the new year in Omaha....

1) New Downtown Fortune 500 Headquarters
2) Visible progress on Wallstreet, Civic Center and Shamrock
3) Enough with studies, concrete Streetcar plans.
4) Tear down Storz and build us a riverfront to be proud of!

#3 might have had a better chance of coming true if it was for a STEEL streetcar, instead of concrete.

[iamjacobm]

My 2015 list:

1. Shamrock Breaks Ground Y
2. Crossroads Breaks Ground N
3. Tenants announced for Lanoha and Tetrad towers N
4. More Old Market infill(10th and Harney please) Y
5. Postal Annex project announced Y
6. North Downtown apartment projects Y
7. New Benson construction(sounds like it is coming) Y
8. Company moves a good block of jobs into the market, been a while since a PacLife/Gallup level move has happened N
9. 2019 B1G Basketball Tournament announced for Omaha N
10. BRT breaks ground N
11. Streetcar funding announced N
12. Harney Street Cycle Track moves ahead N
13. New riverfront construction, both sides of the river Y
14. Baby Bob N
15. Mutual announces solid plans for all the land that they are clearing N

2016:

1. Crossroads breaks ground
2. Lanoha/Tetrad tenant announcements
3. HDR groundbreaking
4. Lots more ~4 floor infill
5. Large apartment project between MTC and DT
6. MTC Phase 2 plans shown
7. A/V begins to hit critical mass
8. BRT breaks ground
9. OPA provides a bold plan to meet their wants and save the buildings bought for them
10. Midrise apartment tower proposed
11. The next Blackstone starts get get seeds planted. maybe S 13th.
12. New jobs enter the market
13. IA riverfront development kicks Omaha's into gear
14. Lot B proposals
15. UNMC breaks ground on hotel/iEXCEL and hints at Omaha Steel potential.

[Athomsfere]

1. Steak 'n Shake.
2. Finish the US-75/Platteview Rd./US-34 interchange.
3. Steak 'n Shake
4. Like to see Minsky's Pizza come up from KC.

Been to Freddy's? IMO a better take on the concept...

[damonhynes]

1. Steak 'n Shake.
2. Finish the US-75/Platteview Rd./US-34 interchange.
3. Steak 'n Shake
4. Like to see Minsky's Pizza come up from KC.

Been to Freddy's? IMO a better take on the concept...

Like Freddy's and Culver's a lot. Nothing wrong with them at all. I'm from tha STL, been eating SnS since 1961 and I gotta represent!

[daveoma]

1. New high rise residential tower announced for Little Italy/Bohemia
2. Vinton street district becomes the new Benson with new music venues and art galleries
3. New Hotels announced along 13th street between the Zoo and Downtown
4. The Max and DCs re-open in Park Avenue neighborhood
5. Restaurant in South Omaha voted best Mexican food in an International publication

[RNcyanide]

Okay, a serious wishlist:

Aside from Shamrock, Lanoha, Tetrad, HDR, and Crossroads and in no particular order...

1. Someone occupies a majority of the space in CPP and puts neon signs back up; they look so dull without signage at the top
2. Plans regarding the redevelopment of ConAgra's campus announced
3. People take BRT seriously and make it a success
4. OPA/Holland come to a sensible solution and propose a development that incorporates the Specht and HHC buildings
5. A greater investment and mental health services (expansion of Lasting Hope, Nebraska Methodist invests in a psych unit) in our city (sorry, I'm almost a nurse)
6. Historic buildings continue to be valued and preserved
7. The banners from the elevators at the interchange be brought back
8. The reason for HDR taking so long to release their plan is because they put some of the parking underground or on the first few floors, thus increasing the height of their tower or maybe implementing a public space on the block similar to what FNB did
9. The city and public non-profits make expanded efforts to work with the homeless instead of just pushing them from one place to the other

There!!

[PotatoeEatsFish]

1. They do something really cool with the riverfront area between Storz and the century link. Maybe something like
this---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_M ... _Missouri)
2. The Specht Building is saved somehow.
3. A highrise with an observation deck built on the site of the old UP HQ.