Downtown HDR Corporate Headquarters

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:57 am

The Lincoln Airport terminal building and the new Blue Barn theater building have cor-ten steel too. There are several interstate bridges that have it too, IIRC.

arcane · Post by **arcane** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:06 pm

S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.

The building that is your least favorite is quite possibly the best looking building in that lineup of ugly postmodern buildings!! That photo truly hurts my eyes in terms of the architecture. This is why the public can't have anything architecturally significant because you all dismiss it as being ugly, bland, banal, etc. when in actuality it is timeless, disciplined in its design moves and intentions, truth in materiality, and detailed exceptionally well; but I guess none of that matters as long as you all have your clunky and awkward looking postmodern structures of the 90's and early 2000's clad in countless materials and a spire on top.

In all reality the fins on the east and west facades will probably end up being similar to the ones that clad the Salt Lake City Courthouse by Thomas Phifer. A beautifully designed building. And by the way, the only way to properly shade a building's east and west facades is to use vertical shading, so the fins aren't just aesthetic they are actually doing something.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:10 pm

arcane wrote:
S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.

The building that is your least favorite is quite possibly the best looking building in that lineup of ugly postmodern buildings!! That photo truly hurts my eyes in terms of the architecture. This is why the public can't have anything architecturally significant because you all dismiss it as being ugly, bland, banal, etc. when in actuality it is timeless, disciplined in its design moves and intentions, truth in materiality, and detailed exceptionally well; but I guess none of that matters as long as you all have your clunky and awkward looking postmodern structures of the 90's and early 2000's clad in countless materials and a spire on top.

In all reality the fins on the east and west facades will probably end up being similar to the ones that clad the Salt Lake City Courthouse by Thomas Phifer. A beautifully designed building. And by the way, the only way to properly shade a building's east and west facades is to use vertical shading, so the fins aren't just aesthetic they are actually doing something.

are you going to tell me what girls I should be attracted to, also?

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:20 pm

S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.

Are you thinking of the old Methodist Hospital on 36th and Cuming? They encased the building with some kind of shield panels that ended up looking like a cage at some point over the decades. It looks absolutely awful.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 2:28 pm

The East (and west?) sides of the proposed HDR HQ building look somewhat like the US Bank building in Lincoln. When they built that, it was for First National Bank of Lincoln and the "fins" on the sides of the building represented tall number 1's....look at the top of the fins. Vertical fins are an effective shading device on the east and west sides of a building when the sun angle is low and from glancing angles...just like vertical blinds.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 2:36 pm

RNcyanide wrote:
S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.
Are you thinking of the old Methodist Hospital on 36th and Cuming? They encased the building with some kind of shield panels that ended up looking like a cage at some point over the decades. It looks absolutely awful.

yes! That's it

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 3:03 pm

S33 wrote:
arcane wrote:
S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.

The building that is your least favorite is quite possibly the best looking building in that lineup of ugly postmodern buildings!! That photo truly hurts my eyes in terms of the architecture. This is why the public can't have anything architecturally significant because you all dismiss it as being ugly, bland, banal, etc. when in actuality it is timeless, disciplined in its design moves and intentions, truth in materiality, and detailed exceptionally well; but I guess none of that matters as long as you all have your clunky and awkward looking postmodern structures of the 90's and early 2000's clad in countless materials and a spire on top.

In all reality the fins on the east and west facades will probably end up being similar to the ones that clad the Salt Lake City Courthouse by Thomas Phifer. A beautifully designed building. And by the way, the only way to properly shade a building's east and west facades is to use vertical shading, so the fins aren't just aesthetic they are actually doing something.
are you going to tell me what girls I should be attracted to, also?

I took a sip of coffee..looked down, read your response, and almost made a mess, LOL

...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Athomsfere · Post by **Athomsfere** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 4:41 pm

S33 wrote:Again, I'm not saying I "dislike" the building, so much as I'm saying it's rather "uninspiring". At first glance, I was expecting to say "oh, that's cool, I knew HDR would come up with something neat". Instead, it was more of a "oh, that's all they came up with?"

Judging by the overall reaction on this board, and in the comment sections of all the local media stories on the proposed rendering, I am in the overwhelming majority in thinking this.

For example, something comproable in size/height/cost, I submit exhibit "A", the H&R Block building in KC, as an example of a building that, when I first saw it, I thought was "neat" while also being something of a design that could stand the test of time and trends:

Not that I am in love with HDR's building, but I much prefer HDR's design. It looks much less generic to me. The H&R tower just looks like another rounded glass blass building. It's the modern equivalent of the Woodman tower. Every city has one! Omaha I'd say has 3, which are all smaller and look better. (Durham I, II and the Childrens Hospital on 84th).

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:16 pm

And the Durham towers were both done by HDR as well...

Athomsfere · Post by **Athomsfere** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:49 pm

RNcyanide wrote:And the Durham towers were both done by HDR as well...

To be clear, I meant better than H&R's. I think the new headquarters is a good design and will stand out, much like Landmark.

PotatoeEatsFish · Post by **PotatoeEatsFish** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:36 pm

Athomsfere wrote:
RNcyanide wrote:And the Durham towers were both done by HDR as well...
To be clear, I meant better than H&R's. I think the new headquarters is a good design and will stand out, much like Landmark.

Lol reminds me of when a guy predicted that HDR's HQ would be a glorified Landmark Center.

daveoma · Post by **daveoma** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:14 pm

arcane wrote:
S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.

The building that is your least favorite is quite possibly the best looking building in that lineup of ugly postmodern buildings!! That photo truly hurts my eyes in terms of the architecture. This is why the public can't have anything architecturally significant because you all dismiss it as being ugly, bland, banal, etc. when in actuality it is timeless, disciplined in its design moves and intentions, truth in materiality, and detailed exceptionally well; but I guess none of that matters as long as you all have your clunky and awkward looking postmodern structures of the 90's and early 2000's clad in countless materials and a spire on top.

In all reality the fins on the east and west facades will probably end up being similar to the ones that clad the Salt Lake City Courthouse by Thomas Phifer. A beautifully designed building. And by the way, the only way to properly shade a building's east and west facades is to use vertical shading, so the fins aren't just aesthetic they are actually doing something.

Now that you mention it I think banal is a great word to describe the renderings of the new HDR building. If you are too reserved in designing monumental architecture, like a skyscraper, then you don't get a chance to create something that is truly unique. From the renderings, I feel this building makes no statement whatsoever and disappears amongst the mid-rise buildings in downtown Omaha. I'm not saying we should be Dubai, and I am not suggesting something gaudy or experimental. Rather I would love to see more forward thinking ambition in how these companies choose to design their buildings which in my opinion more accurately reflect Omaha's forward thinking ambition--as evidenced by the criticism in this thread.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Sun Feb 07, 2016 4:32 pm

S33 wrote:
RNcyanide wrote:
S33 wrote:I think what I'm really not liking, are the east/west sides of the building. Looks dated. Also looks like my least favorite building in downtown Des Moines.

Also, those exterior "shield/shade panels", on the sides, were a concept of 70's architecture I wish would have never been resurrected. There's a few examples of this in Omaha, one I think is somewhere on northwest radial.
Are you thinking of the old Methodist Hospital on 36th and Cuming? They encased the building with some kind of shield panels that ended up looking like a cage at some point over the decades. It looks absolutely awful.
yes! That's it

That is being torn down.

mr. omaha · Post by **mr. omaha** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:21 am

According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:33 am

mr. omaha wrote:According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.

Curse you, I was literally about to post this.

They try to end the article on a sweeter note talking about how a small percentage of the TIF would be used to make 11th Street a pedestrian-friendly corridor between Capitol Ave and GLM. I'm hoping for something kind of/sort of like the Nicolette Mall in Minneapolis; on a much, much smaller scale of course. Probably not going to happen, but a guy can dream...

Anyway, boo for more money going to OPA.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:33 am

Also from that article: (I don't think we have heard an official price tag for the new HQ's)

HDR Inc. is seeking $20.9 million in tax-increment financing to help pay for the $152 million headquarters the firm proposes to build in downtown Omaha......The council is expected to consider the request in about six to eight weeks.

Currently, the future HDR site is valued for tax purposes at $1.6 million. It would be valued at $137.5 million after the headquarters is built, the city estimates.
The amount of TIF that HDR is requesting — just under 14 percent of the total project cost — is in line with other recent large redevelopments.
For example, the city approved $35 million in TIF for Capitol District development, under construction downtown. That’s 17 percent of the total cost. And the city approved $8.9 million in TIF, or 16 percent of the total cost, for the Millard Lumber redevelopment in historic downtown Millard.

HDR would spend its TIF funds on a number of those uses. They include $5.5 million for special building foundations made necessary by the water table at the site, according to city documents.
TIF would also go toward $7.9 million in design fees. A note in the TIF application says that HDR’s world headquarters will have “specially designed curtain walls,” and include energy conservation and renewable energy features.
“Once completed, the building will be LEED Gold certified and will be a showcase for HDR’s architectural and engineering capabilities,” the note says.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:36 am

mr. omaha wrote:According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.

Oh lord. for the 30th time, the only taxpayer TIF comes from in this case is HDR. Your cash isn't helping a single bit.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:38 am

"The building that is your least favorite is quite possibly the best looking building in that lineup of ugly postmodern buildings!! That photo truly hurts my eyes in terms of the architecture. This is why the public can't have anything architecturally significant because you all dismiss it as being ugly, bland, banal, etc. when in actuality it is timeless, disciplined in its design moves and intentions, truth in materiality, and detailed exceptionally well; but I guess none of that matters as long as you all have your clunky and awkward looking postmodern structures of the 90's and early 2000's clad in countless materials and a spire on top."

I had a hack architect try to sell me a similar line of garbage about a proposed metal farm shed one time.
Ruan isnt a farm shed, but both arguments smell like something that might lurk inside.

mr. omaha · Post by **mr. omaha** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:51 am

cdub wrote:
mr. omaha wrote:According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.
Oh lord. for the 30th time, the only taxpayer TIF comes from in this case is HDR. Your cash isn't helping a single bit.

From the Nebraska Department of Economic Development website regarding TIF:

"Land assembled for the project is conveyed to the developer at a "fair value"...."

Paying $11M to ensure a company can obtain a parcel for $3M isn't a fair value.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:10 am

mr. omaha wrote:
cdub wrote:
mr. omaha wrote:According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.
Oh lord. for the 30th time, the only taxpayer TIF comes from in this case is HDR. Your cash isn't helping a single bit.
From the Nebraska Department of Economic Development website regarding TIF:

"Land assembled for the project is conveyed to the developer at a "fair value"...."

Paying $11M to ensure a company can obtain a parcel for $3M isn't a fair value.

TIF isnt covering that land issue. I am speaking of the TIF that HDR is using for the building. The City's use of redevelopment funds to buy the ground? Feel free to complain.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:08 am

mr. omaha wrote: From the Nebraska Department of Economic Development website regarding TIF:

"Land assembled for the project is conveyed to the developer at a "fair value"...."

Paying $11M to ensure a company can obtain a parcel for $3M isn't a fair value.

Wat?

mr. omaha · Post by **mr. omaha** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:11 pm

cdub wrote:
mr. omaha wrote:
cdub wrote:
mr. omaha wrote:According to the OWH this morning, HDR now wants $21M in TIF for their building, $3M of it which would be used to pay OPA for the parking lot. Now the City is in the hook for $32M. I wonder how much more they will try to extort from taxpayers by the time this is all done.
Oh lord. for the 30th time, the only taxpayer TIF comes from in this case is HDR. Your cash isn't helping a single bit.
From the Nebraska Department of Economic Development website regarding TIF:

"Land assembled for the project is conveyed to the developer at a "fair value"...."

Paying $11M to ensure a company can obtain a parcel for $3M isn't a fair value.
TIF isnt covering that land issue. I am speaking of the TIF that HDR is using for the building. The City's use of redevelopment funds to buy the ground? Feel free to complain.

I'd rather you help me understand.

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development's website states, in regards to TIF financing, that "Land assembled for the project is conveyed to the developer at a "fair value."" So if HDR wants to use TIF monies to pay for OPA's land, OPA has to sell them that land at a "fair value" in order for HDR to use TIF monies to pay for it, which the OWH has stated is $3M. Is my understanding of that correct? If it's not, please explain because I genuinely would like to understand.

If the City has to spend $11M in order to get OPA to sell their land at a "fair value" is it really a fair value? That's was my point.

mikey cee · Post by **mikey cee** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:33 pm

So this is the new HDR(HumDRum)headquarters building!? You've got to be pulling an April Fools joke early this year. Just the statement Omaha needs to send again and again....another glass cubed 16 story block. You'd think some sort of ornate topped roof or façade would have been incorporated into a structure. Something to make and leave some sort of positive visual memory to visitors of this city.

a grade school art class could come up with a "concept" to outdo this!! Heck Kansas City's suburbs have buildings better looking than this stuff!

PotatoeEatsFish · Post by **PotatoeEatsFish** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:54 pm

mikey cee wrote:So this is the new HDR(HumDRum)headquarters building!? You've got to be pulling an April Fools joke early this year. Just the statement Omaha needs to send again and again....another glass cubed 16 story block. You'd think some sort of ornate topped roof or façade would have been incorporated into a structure. Something to make and leave some sort of positive visual memory to visitors of this city. a grade school art class could come up with a "concept" to outdo this!! Heck Kansas City's suburbs have buildings better looking than this stuff!

Welcome to two weeks ago...

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 3:52 am

mikey cee, welcome to the forum, and this name looks familiar to me.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 3:39 pm

A public hearing (not a vote) on the property matter is before the city council now. Here's a link to the live stream:

http://www.tknomaha.org/streaming/tkn-channel-1/

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:31 pm

I appreciated Paul Kulik speaking his mind!

Lillian Bean · Post by **Lillian Bean** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:32 pm

jessep28 wrote:A public hearing (not a vote) on the property matter is before the city council now. Here's a link to the live stream:

http://www.tknomaha.org/streaming/tkn-channel-1/

Thanks for the link. Do you or anyone else know if these meetings are available online anywhere after the fact?

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 4:51 pm

Lillian Bean wrote:
jessep28 wrote:A public hearing (not a vote) on the property matter is before the city council now. Here's a link to the live stream:

http://www.tknomaha.org/streaming/tkn-channel-1/
Thanks for the link. Do you or anyone else know if these meetings are available online anywhere after the fact?

http://cityclerk.cityofomaha.org/city-c ... s-a-videos

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 5:07 pm

Coyote wrote:
Lillian Bean wrote:
jessep28 wrote:A public hearing (not a vote) on the property matter is before the city council now. Here's a link to the live stream:

http://www.tknomaha.org/streaming/tkn-channel-1/
Thanks for the link. Do you or anyone else know if these meetings are available online anywhere after the fact?

http://cityclerk.cityofomaha.org/city-c ... s-a-videos

The meeting will replay on The Knowledge Network channel one at 8PM according to their schedule.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 9:56 pm

TIF request says 240 feet. Would be 11th tallest in the city.

EDIT: Also says 14-15 floors. 10,500 SF of retail.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:06 pm

The elevation in the request say 255' though...

Wondering if that just didn't get adjusted.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:41 pm

iamjacobm wrote:TIF request says 240 feet. Would be 11th tallest in the city.

EDIT: Also says 14-15 floors. 10,500 SF of retail.

Don't be a height fan boy don't be a height fan boy don't be a height fan boy don't be a height fa...

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:47 pm

iamjacobm wrote:The elevation in the request say 255' though...

Wondering if that just didn't get adjusted.

Where did you go to see the elevations?

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:13 pm

They are buried in the TIF request PDF. Probably over half way down the document.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:34 pm

iamjacobm wrote:They are buried in the TIF request PDF. Probably over half way down the document.

I don't know if I missed it but I didn't see them in the pdfs I looked at. Could you link them to here??

Edit: found it!!

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:29 am

I cannot seem to locate the tif proposal; could you post the link (again) if you have it?

Also: if it ends up at 255' tall, that would make it the 8th tallest building in Omaha, about 4 or 5 feet shorter than the AT&T building (according to the interwebs, anyway)

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:52 am

thenewguy wrote:I cannot seem to locate the tif proposal; could you post the link (again) if you have it?

Also: if it ends up at 255' tall, that would make it the 8th tallest building in Omaha, about 4 or 5 feet shorter than the AT&T building (according to the interwebs, anyway)

Yes, if it ends up being 255' that would match the height of the Landmark building. If it is 240', it would be similar in height to the Doubletree Hotel downtown (238')

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:13 am

I think the 255' measurement is off the glass that overshoots the edges of the building on the north wall.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:25 am

thenewguy wrote:I cannot seem to locate the tif proposal; could you post the link (again) if you have it?

Also: if it ends up at 255' tall, that would make it the 8th tallest building in Omaha, about 4 or 5 feet shorter than the AT&T building (according to the interwebs, anyway)

H
It's off the latest city council agenda. I'll pot a link when I get home this afternoon if I need too. Might grab some screenshots too.