City of Ralston

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Linkin5
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Linkin5 »

jessep28 wrote:I don't know why the OWH is laying into Ralston so hard. The same things could be said about Pinnacle Bank Arena. Obviously Lincoln is a bigger city and the financing situation around PBA is different, I wouldn't doubt it if similar stories are printed about them in a few years.
How are these two situations similar...at all?
Trips
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Trips »

Am I missing any or are any of these numbers off?

Omaha:
1.5% city sales tax
2.5% restaurant tax
3% tobacco tax
5.5% lodging tax
$8 rental car tax

Ralston:
1.5% city sales tax
2.5% restaurant tax
None: tobacco tax
5.5% lodging tax
?? rental car tax

LaVista:
2% city sales tax
None restaurant tax
None: tobacco tax
5%: lodging tax
?? rental car tax

Gretna:
1.5% city sales tax
None restaurant tax
None: tobacco tax
?? lodging tax
?? rental car tax
Special Outlet Mall Tax
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Coyote
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Coyote »

Ralston tightens city budget to help its struggling arena’s finances
Emily Nohr and 
Cody Winchester - World-Herald staff writers wrote:Ralston will delay spending on capital projects and slash employee training, travel to professional conferences, publicity and general maintenance, among other things.
ita
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by ita »

https://www.omaha.com/sarpy/ralston/hin ... 4aa2d.html

This was article of a concept the City of Ralston is trying to develop. Ralston generally has the stigma of the city with financial problems due to their ill-advised construction of an expensive arena. The City and its citizens want to change that. They are working with HDR to develop a development plan for an area they deem the Hinge, just south of the arena and east of their downtown. Although some of their ideas are pie-in-the-sky levels, I hope they are able to spur some development as there looks to be quite a bit of usable land/empty buildings in that area and they are an identified Opportunity Zone.
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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by GrandpaaSmucker »

I had to laugh this week when I read in the paper that the city of Ralston has been told by one of those scam job consultant firms that the naming rights to the Ralston Arena are worth $175,000 :lafcry:
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damonhynes
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by damonhynes »

GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:32 pm I had to laugh this week when I read in the paper that the city of Ralston has been told by one of those scam job consultant firms that the naming rights to the Ralston Arena are worth $175,000 :lafcry:
Sure, for the next 175000 years...
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Brad
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Brad »

damonhynes wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:17 pm
GrandpaaSmucker wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:32 pm I had to laugh this week when I read in the paper that the city of Ralston has been told by one of those scam job consultant firms that the naming rights to the Ralston Arena are worth $175,000 :lafcry:
Sure, for the next 175000 years...
CHI paid $1.18 Million a year, $175K doesn't seem too far out of line when you compare the size and number of events. Don't be confused, while the arena is loosing money, its busy and being used. If I were putting my name one it, attendance and number of events would be #1 on my list.
omaha79
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by omaha79 »

The naming rights are easily worth $175k. If anything, maybe slightly more.

If I remember right, Ralston had offers in that ballpark, but they thought it was worth more in 2012 and decided not to sell it. That was a mistake.

The arena is being used. Selling the naming rights should be a slam dunk.
omaha79
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by omaha79 »

ita wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:11 am https://www.omaha.com/sarpy/ralston/hin ... 4aa2d.html

This was article of a concept the City of Ralston is trying to develop. Ralston generally has the stigma of the city with financial problems due to their ill-advised construction of an expensive arena. The City and its citizens want to change that. They are working with HDR to develop a development plan for an area they deem the Hinge, just south of the arena and east of their downtown. Although some of their ideas are pie-in-the-sky levels, I hope they are able to spur some development as there looks to be quite a bit of usable land/empty buildings in that area and they are an identified Opportunity Zone.
I've often thought Ralston was underutilized. It has an old timey feel and with a bit of development could be a destination. maybe not quite a Benson, but someplace people want to live and frequent. Several blocks would have to be redeveloped, but it's doable. The problem is there is no real driving traffic through the town and that was always by design. Ralston has always been somewhat insulated on purpose. The major arterial throughfares were purposefully directed away from town a long time ago. That is something they will have to overcome.

A few neat non-chain restaurants and bars would start to change things. There is already affordable housing in the area that would appeal to millenials.
Last edited by omaha79 on Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Taco
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Taco »

omaha79 wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:47 am The naming rights are easily worth $175k. If anything, maybe slightly more.

If I remember right, Ralston had offers in that ballpark, but they thought it was worth more in 2012 and decided not to sell it. That was a mistake.

The arena is being used. Selling the naming rights should be a slam dunk.
Hearsay during the last round of bidding was that the highest bidder by far was one of the "male enhancement" clinics. Not a great look for a family-friendly suburb...
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GrandpaaSmucker
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by GrandpaaSmucker »

Taco wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:29 pm Hearsay during the last round of bidding was that the highest bidder by far was one of the "male enhancement" clinics. Not a great look for a family-friendly suburb...
The "Testostrone Dome" :?:

"Cialis Civic Center" :?:

"Dr Slictermyers Botox Arena" :?:
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bigredmed1
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by bigredmed1 »

Taco wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:29 pm
omaha79 wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:47 am The naming rights are easily worth $175k. If anything, maybe slightly more.

If I remember right, Ralston had offers in that ballpark, but they thought it was worth more in 2012 and decided not to sell it. That was a mistake.

The arena is being used. Selling the naming rights should be a slam dunk.
Hearsay during the last round of bidding was that the highest bidder by far was one of the "male enhancement" clinics. Not a great look for a family-friendly suburb...
Ralston might have "grown" with that.
MadMartin8
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by MadMartin8 »

Taco wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 1:29 pm
omaha79 wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:47 am The naming rights are easily worth $175k. If anything, maybe slightly more.

If I remember right, Ralston had offers in that ballpark, but they thought it was worth more in 2012 and decided not to sell it. That was a mistake.

The arena is being used. Selling the naming rights should be a slam dunk.
Hearsay during the last round of bidding was that the highest bidder by far was one of the "male enhancement" clinics. Not a great look for a family-friendly suburb...
That is way too funny. :lol:
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bigredmed1
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by bigredmed1 »

Some cities are just doomed. Ralston is one. Omaha has the Blackstone and Aksarben Village. Both areas of development with a cool name that would attract people to go there or at least not be so easily mock-able. The"Hinge"? Really? I can't see going out of my way to drink or dine in the Hinge. They built an arena that can't sustain itself. They have been landlocked by Papillion-LaVista, Millard, and Omaha for so long that their main strategy is to avoid anexation by keeping their debt unattractive. That is the same thing that is keeping the rest of the town down.
OmahaFan
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by OmahaFan »

I tend to agree with you big red. I think this idea is doomed for failure. We have all this office space in Omaha that's open we don't need any more in the market i personally think. With the recent building going on in West Omaha with that new business park I don't think this will project will be successful. It will just sit empty I think. I think it's time for Omaha to annex Ralston and just put a end to this small city once and for all. Gonna have to bite the bullet on the Ralston Debt.
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damonhynes
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by damonhynes »

OmahaFan wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 12:19 am I tend to agree with you big red. I think this idea is doomed for failure. We have all this office space in Omaha that's open we don't need any more in the market i personally think. With the recent building going on in West Omaha with that new business park I don't think this will project will be successful. It will just sit empty I think. I think it's time for Omaha to annex Ralston and just put a end to this small city once and for all. Gonna have to bite the bullet on the Ralston Debt.
What is Omaha's incentive to annex Ralston?
Padre
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Padre »

damonhynes wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:30 am
OmahaFan wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 12:19 am I tend to agree with you big red. I think this idea is doomed for failure. We have all this office space in Omaha that's open we don't need any more in the market i personally think. With the recent building going on in West Omaha with that new business park I don't think this will project will be successful. It will just sit empty I think. I think it's time for Omaha to annex Ralston and just put a end to this small city once and for all. Gonna have to bite the bullet on the Ralston Debt.
What is Omaha's incentive to annex Ralston?
There isn’t any. Some have argued that that is the point. Survival through bad management.
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damonhynes
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by damonhynes »

Padre wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:57 am
damonhynes wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:30 am
OmahaFan wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 12:19 am I tend to agree with you big red. I think this idea is doomed for failure. We have all this office space in Omaha that's open we don't need any more in the market i personally think. With the recent building going on in West Omaha with that new business park I don't think this will project will be successful. It will just sit empty I think. I think it's time for Omaha to annex Ralston and just put a end to this small city once and for all. Gonna have to bite the bullet on the Ralston Debt.
What is Omaha's incentive to annex Ralston?
There isn’t any. Some have argued that that is the point. Survival through bad management.
Dead on; I was wondering if OmahaFan could come up with a cogent argument for it.

This isn't a fire sale like American Airlines acquiring TWA, one city can't selective purchase the assets of another. If Ralston collapses, it will be interesting to see how it recovers--probably it'll become a ward of the state.
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Re: City of Ralston

Post by Coyote »

Ralston Independence Day Celebration returns for 62nd year




KMTV 3 News Now

Ralston Independence Day Celebration returns for 62nd year
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Re: City of Ralston

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Douglas County Fair returns Friday at a new location



Douglas County Fair returns Friday at a new location
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Re: City of Ralston

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Ralston community gives input on master plan for park renovations


The city of Ralston plans to renovate all seven of its parks. But first, city leaders said they want to hear from the community. Residents gave feedback in a public meeting Thursday afternoon.

City leaders said they'll evaluate suggestions from the community and put a final plan together in the next few months.

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