Omaha Forums

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

choke wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

Conagra did recently by the buildings and land. I believe OPUS, the original developer leased it to them before. I'll have to see if the transaction is listed on the DOCO Assessor's & Treasurer's site.

This thread is starting to kill me.

RNcyanide wrote:This thread is starting to kill me.

That's what these Rumor threads can do..

If you let them ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:This thread is starting to kill me.

That's what these Rumor threads can do..

If you let them ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

I'm waiting for someone to be like 'I heard from my brother's girlfriend's mom's neighbor's cat that they're going to build in Council Bluffs!'

Early this month I talked to a Kewit project manager after a tour of the Buffett cancer center about HDR. His response was pretty much the same as all the postings here...only rumors. He said they have heard that HDR has continued to work with the city, and have met with the Nebraksa board of regents and college of St Mary's. He did seem doubtful that they would go west though. But again, he said everything is speculation at this time.

mr. omaha wrote:

GetUrban wrote:Nothing says they would have to build something "suburban." I'd be happy if they demolished the two empty ConAgra buildings, re-established the grid, and built something with at least the massing and density of the former JC buildings. One can hope!

Keep just one ugly, red ConAgra brick in honor of Mike Harper.

ROFLMAO!

RNcyanide wrote:

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

RNcyanide wrote:This thread is starting to kill me.

That's what these Rumor threads can do..

If you let them ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

I'm waiting for someone to be like 'I heard from my brother's girlfriend's mom's neighbor's cat that they're going to build in Council Bluffs!'

And the truth of the matter is, that "brother's girlfriend's mom's neighbor's cat" is likely just as reliable a source ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

True-dat, I'm personal friends with Wendy and Mike Moran but I don't dare post anything they've told me directly.

MTO wrote:True-dat, I'm personal friends with Wendy and Mike Moran but I don't dare post anything they've told me directly.

Like "Get off my F%*#*@% lawn!" and "I can hear you in those bushes!"?

MadMartin8 wrote:

MTO wrote:True-dat, I'm personal friends with Wendy and Mike Moran but I don't dare post anything they've told me directly.

Like "Get off my F%*#*@% lawn!" and "I can hear you in those bushes!"?

Not exactly.

GetUrban wrote:

choke wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

Conagra did recently by the buildings and land. I believe OPUS, the original developer leased it to them before. I'll have to see if the transaction is listed on the DOCO Assessor's & Treasurer's site.

It's been said a hundred times - HDR doesn't want to own their land. They won't own anything. They never owned the buildings they are in now - they were owned by the Chuck Durham Foundation until they sold to Childrens recently. HDR will not own their new development either.

guest2017 wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

choke wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

Conagra did recently by the buildings and land. I believe OPUS, the original developer leased it to them before. I'll have to see if the transaction is listed on the DOCO Assessor's & Treasurer's site.

It's been said a hundred times - HDR doesn't want to own their land. They won't own anything. They never owned the buildings they are in now - they were owned by the Chuck Durham Foundation until they sold to Childrens recently. HDR will not own their new development either.

I might be wrong but I thought HDR was going to buy the parking lot on 12th and Dodge from OPA and the city?

Most likely it will be an LLC made up of HDR employees/owners/investors who will lease it to HDR. Just as Chuck Durham was once and employee of HDR and passed on ownership of his properties to his foundation. There may have been other former HDR employees who were in the partnership that leased the properties to the HDR company. This is a common practice in many businesses.

choke wrote:

guest2017 wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

choke wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

Conagra did recently by the buildings and land. I believe OPUS, the original developer leased it to them before. I'll have to see if the transaction is listed on the DOCO Assessor's & Treasurer's site.

It's been said a hundred times - HDR doesn't want to own their land. They won't own anything. They never owned the buildings they are in now - they were owned by the Chuck Durham Foundation until they sold to Childrens recently. HDR will not own their new development either.

I might be wrong but I thought HDR was going to buy the parking lot on 12th and Dodge from OPA and the city?

They were going to buy it, and basically push it off to someone else to own. This is very common.

guest2017 wrote:

choke wrote:

guest2017 wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

choke wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I have seen posts on this forum from "people in the know" saying that HDR is not building downtown, HDR is building downtown, and HDR is building at Aksarben. With Childrens' purchase of the HDR land, it sounds like we may be speculating for quite awhile. I would think that HDR wants to own the land that they build on. I don't think any of the land at ConAgra is locally owned. Or did ConAgra buy the land of the 2 buildings it is going to vacate in order to sell it?

Conagra did recently by the buildings and land. I believe OPUS, the original developer leased it to them before. I'll have to see if the transaction is listed on the DOCO Assessor's & Treasurer's site.

It's been said a hundred times - HDR doesn't want to own their land. They won't own anything. They never owned the buildings they are in now - they were owned by the Chuck Durham Foundation until they sold to Childrens recently. HDR will not own their new development either.

I might be wrong but I thought HDR was going to buy the parking lot on 12th and Dodge from OPA and the city?

They were going to buy it, and basically push it off to someone else to own. This is very common.

Until this fall, ConAgra owned very little of their buildings/property. I believe I was told, they owned 2 of the original 9 main buildings they had in Omaha and very little of the land.

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

stabone99 wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

I agree it would be highly unlikely they'd move into any of the former ConAgra buildings, unless they did a total gut job making them unrecognizable. It would go against the urban design principles they preach. I guess they could earn some "green" points by re-utilizing the existing buildings. Those two buildings only total approx 250k square feet and they were proposing something like 350k in their previous design. Anyway...this rendering posted in the Conagra Campus thread by bmt shows that they would have plenty of room to build along 10th street and still leave the existing ConAgra buildings intact. If they can't find a way to make that site work, they have bigger things to worry about as an architectural design firm.

GetUrban wrote:

stabone99 wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

I agree it would be highly unlikely they'd move into any of the former ConAgra buildings, unless they did a total gut job making them unrecognizable. It would go against the urban design principles they preach. I guess they could earn some "green" points by re-utilizing the existing buildings. Those two buildings only total approx 250k square feet and they were proposing something like 350k in their previous design. Anyway...this rendering posted in the Conagra Campus thread by bmt shows that they would have plenty of room to build along 10th street and still leave the existing ConAgra buildings intact. If they can't find a way to make that site work, they have bigger things to worry about as an architectural design firm.

There is a location rumor scooting among employees that a site has been selected and it's not downtown.

Guest wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

stabone99 wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

I agree it would be highly unlikely they'd move into any of the former ConAgra buildings, unless they did a total gut job making them unrecognizable. It would go against the urban design principles they preach. I guess they could earn some "green" points by re-utilizing the existing buildings. Those two buildings only total approx 250k square feet and they were proposing something like 350k in their previous design. Anyway...this rendering posted in the Conagra Campus thread by bmt shows that they would have plenty of room to build along 10th street and still leave the existing ConAgra buildings intact. If they can't find a way to make that site work, they have bigger things to worry about as an architectural design firm.

There is a location rumor scooting among employees that a site has been selected and it's not downtown.

This is the first time I've heard the same spot (a singular location, multiple times) from people that may be in the know.

and that spot is...............

Guest wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

stabone99 wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

I agree it would be highly unlikely they'd move into any of the former ConAgra buildings, unless they did a total gut job making them unrecognizable. It would go against the urban design principles they preach. I guess they could earn some "green" points by re-utilizing the existing buildings. Those two buildings only total approx 250k square feet and they were proposing something like 350k in their previous design. Anyway...this rendering posted in the Conagra Campus thread by bmt shows that they would have plenty of room to build along 10th street and still leave the existing ConAgra buildings intact. If they can't find a way to make that site work, they have bigger things to worry about as an architectural design firm.

There is a location rumor scooting among employees that a site has been selected and it's not downtown.

Good grief. Stothert was going to build a parking garage for HDR and have the city pay for it and they still pulled out of downtown. I think it's pretty clear that they are not going downtown.

choke wrote: I think it's pretty clear that they are not going downtown.

I think the only thing that's pretty clear, is that no one, except perhaps CEO George Little, has any idea where HDR will locate their corporate HQ's at this point...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

I can tell you for sure they're not taking the main empty lot in Aksarben that has been mentioned here a few times. (Across from DLR/Gordmans). A prominent law firm that occupies several floors of a major downtown building is moving there.

Sorry, I know this will irritate a number of you. I'm not saying this eliminates Aksarben entirely, but that site isn't in play.

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

choke wrote: I think it's pretty clear that they are not going downtown.

I think the only thing that's pretty clear, is that no one, except perhaps CEO George Little, has any idea where HDR will locate their corporate HQ's at this point...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

HDR's CEO and Guest

Guest wrote:

Guest wrote:

GetUrban wrote:

stabone99 wrote:

mr. omaha wrote:I just received a text from a friend who may or may not work for ConAgra who said: "Now that we've announced that ConAgra is vacating those two buildings I can tell you that HDR is going to build on the site."

I would be ecstatic if true, but I have a hard time believing that as there's no way HDR is taking over any of those buildings. Which would mean, they'd have to tear them down and then build new. Maybe HDR can squeeze a building in on the open green space but I don't believe there is enough room and then they'd be in the same situation in regards to parking.

I agree it would be highly unlikely they'd move into any of the former ConAgra buildings, unless they did a total gut job making them unrecognizable. It would go against the urban design principles they preach. I guess they could earn some "green" points by re-utilizing the existing buildings. Those two buildings only total approx 250k square feet and they were proposing something like 350k in their previous design. Anyway...this rendering posted in the Conagra Campus thread by bmt shows that they would have plenty of room to build along 10th street and still leave the existing ConAgra buildings intact. If they can't find a way to make that site work, they have bigger things to worry about as an architectural design firm.

There is a location rumor scooting among employees that a site has been selected and it's not downtown.

This is the first time I've heard the same spot (a singular location, multiple times) from people that may be in the know.

Which spot would that be? A vast majority of the employees don't even talk about it, much less have any idea where the location might be.

This is agitating for us, I can't help but wonder how all of the employees feel. Maybe we should start a poll and places some bets haha.

Garrett wrote:This is agitating for us, I can't help but wonder how all of the employees feel. Maybe we should start a poll and places some bets haha.

Well..so far, there are multiple location "theories".. Among them-

-The Boystown property.
-Aksarben Village.
-Midtown Crossing/Mutual of Omaha area.
-Somewhere in Sarpy County.
-Multiple locations downtown including: Lot B, The Con Agra site, W Dale Clark Library, Civic Auditorium site etc etc etc.
- "Out West" ( nothing specific).
-According to a "brother's girlfriend's mom's neighbors cat"- Council Bluffs..

None are right. None are wrong. Feel free to add to the foray of fun..

Brought to us exclusively by- George Little, CEO, HDR (intended for mature audiences) ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Although I prefer a downtown site, I'd bet $1 on it being out at the Boystown land that recently sold since they're already involved with designing development in that area.

Other possible sites:

- soon-to-be vacated car dealership land west of Westroads. (very high visibility from I-680 & W. Dodge.)
- Crossroads (Who knows if this will ever go?)
- Vacant lots along World Communications Drive, northwest of 72nd & State (seems unlikely since it's off the beaten path, but it is easy to get to from I-680)

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

Garrett wrote:This is agitating for us, I can't help but wonder how all of the employees feel. Maybe we should start a poll and places some bets haha.

Well..so far, there are multiple location "theories".. Among them-

-The Boystown property.
-Aksarben Village.
-Midtown Crossing/Mutual of Omaha area.
-Somewhere in Sarpy County.
-Multiple locations downtown including: Lot B, The Con Agra site, W Dale Clark Library, Civic Auditorium site etc etc etc.
- "Out West" ( nothing specific).
-According to a "brother's girlfriend's mom's neighbors cat"- Council Bluffs..

None are right. None are wrong. Feel free to add to the foray of fun..

Brought to us exclusively by- George Little, CEO, HDR (intended for mature audiences) ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Don't for get College of Saint Mary land. I think someone recently mentioned HDR was talking with them.

Duly noted choke ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

On the latest map of the Capitol District (posted in that thread located within the Downtown Omaha section), they show HDR as on an adjacent parking lot. Even though that is the latest, updated map, is that still outdated to a degree, putting HDR on that original location it backed out of? I'm confused.

RockHarbor wrote:On the latest map of the Capitol District (posted in that thread located within the Downtown Omaha section), they show HDR as on an adjacent parking lot. Even though that is the latest, updated map, is that still outdated to a degree, putting HDR on that original location it backed out of? I'm confused.

I think they just didnt bother updating it after they pulled out.

I hear there is a lot of backroom negotiations going on between the city and HDR on where HDR will go. I don't know of specific sites. Although the City's preference is to get HDR downtown. I don't know if HDR is still interested in that.

Basically all I got from the person I talked to was that there were a lot of talk between HDR and the city with the city's preference for a downtown site and it seemed like HDR had multiple options. This could all be over now and a site selected. The person I talked to didn't seem to know for certain what was going to happen and didn't want to give too many details of what they did know.

Basically nothing we don't already know. Whatever is going on, nobody seems to be talking.

Joe_Sovereign wrote:I hear there is a lot of backroom negotiations going on between the city and HDR on where HDR will go. I don't know of specific sites. Although the City's preference is to get HDR downtown. I don't know if HDR is still interested in that.

Whatever is going on, nobody seems to be talking.

The silence is ominous indeed.. Thanks for the insight..

It's been since April 7th when CEO George Little yanked HDR out of the original downtown plan. We're going on 3 months of no news. The W-H indicates that HDR either won't comment or return phone calls when asked about the subject..

HDR's HQ location decision may be the most guarded "entertainment secret" since "Who shot JR"...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

Joe_Sovereign wrote:I hear there is a lot of backroom negotiations going on between the city and HDR on where HDR will go. I don't know of specific sites. Although the City's preference is to get HDR downtown. I don't know if HDR is still interested in that.

Whatever is going on, nobody seems to be talking.

The silence is ominous indeed.. Thanks for the insight..

It's been since April 7th when CEO George Little yanked HDR out of the original downtown plan. We're going on 3 months of no news. The W-H indicates that HDR either won't comment or return phone calls when asked about the subject..

HDR's HQ location decision may be the most guarded "entertainment secret" since "Who shot JR"...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

The silence is giving me a bad feeling. I know they said they won't leave town but I never trust businesses.

PotatoeEatsFish wrote:

Omaha Cowboy wrote:

Joe_Sovereign wrote:I hear there is a lot of backroom negotiations going on between the city and HDR on where HDR will go. I don't know of specific sites. Although the City's preference is to get HDR downtown. I don't know if HDR is still interested in that.

Whatever is going on, nobody seems to be talking.

The silence is ominous indeed.. Thanks for the insight..

It's been since April 7th when CEO George Little yanked HDR out of the original downtown plan. We're going on 3 months of no news. The W-H indicates that HDR either won't comment or return phone calls when asked about the subject..

HDR's HQ location decision may be the most guarded "entertainment secret" since "Who shot JR"...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

The silence is giving me a bad feeling. I know they said they won't leave town but I never trust businesses.

I think they head toward Crossroads if available or they head west towards Village Pointe. One thing that holds them back from there is that if they go there, they will be forced to change their name to HDRe.

I am hearing done deal... Aksarben Village.

My first thought is mild disappointment. Really wanted them downtown. Better than a faceless office park though.

Thanks, OPAS!!