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The new home — about 60,000 square feet on two floors of 808 Conagra Drive — allows for future growth of the Sherwood Foundation, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (named after Susie’s late mother) and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. The collective team of about 60 employees is expected to relocate at year’s end.

In the meantime, architectural design and renovations will tailor the new space to the foundations’ needs, said CBRE/Mega President Bennett Ginsberg, who represented Susie Buffett in the search.

At a price tag of $3.65M

I guess it is a good thing that that building will be occupied. Was kind of hoping that this building and the northern most conagra building would be torn down so the street grid could be redone.

Coyote wrote:

The new home — about 60,000 square feet on two floors of 808 Conagra Drive — allows for future growth of the Sherwood Foundation, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (named after Susie’s late mother) and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. The collective team of about 60 employees is expected to relocate at year’s end.

In the meantime, architectural design and renovations will tailor the new space to the foundations’ needs, said CBRE/Mega President Bennett Ginsberg, who represented Susie Buffett in the search.

At a price tag of $3.65M

Wow, 60k sqft for a current staff of 60 people? That some huge plans for expansion. At this current staffing level they could build everyone a 1 bedroom apartment, never mind an office...

The early childhood development facility could include daycare and or lab space or treatment space for something like MMI's autism and feeding clinics. Those suck up serious space.

Stothert mentioned on the KIOS (NPR) Noon Forum today that ConAgra is still planning on developing the ConAgra Campus. She said that ConAgra does own all of the land down there now but there was some snags with the previous developer. She said ConAgra still intends to move forward with redevelopment and the plans call it to be an extension of the Old Market and a mixed use environment.

You can hear Stothert's "Vision for Omaha" on the Noon Forum here: http://kios.org/programs/noon-forum

Can Agra releases detailed plan of "Jobbers Canyon" campus redevelopment project.

Boom. Deliver this Sean Connolly, and you've redeemed yourself somewhat.

Maybe move this out of rumors.

$500M
Developer: Hines

http://www.omaha.com/money/million-prop ... fccaf.html

» The plaza extension of Harney Street leads to the lake. Visitors walking along the corridor could shop, eat or relax on a sloping green lawn whose zig-zag path winds to the dock area.

» Along the south side of the plaza would be a hotel with up to 200 rooms; a 300-unit apartment building and a low-rise residential structure with condominiums.

» On the north side of the corridor would be a 280-unit apartment complex with parking and about 50,000 square feet of restaurant-focused retail space. A 250,000-square-foot office building would rise, too.

» Farther south on the Conagra campus would rise another office building of about 250,000 square feet and a residential high-rise containing up to 250 units, either condos or apartments.

Wow, what a plan. Going to be a long process obviously, but this is a heck of a vision. Very impressed they got a developer like Hines on board too.

This looks incredible! Super exciting for downtown and the city.

Combined details and timeline:

Envisioned as a 10-year project that breaks ground in 2019, the initiative would build nine new structures containing roughly 500,000 square feet of office space, more than 80,000 square feet of retail space, a boutique hotel with up to 200 rooms and about 900 new residences.

I do have to wonder if the 500,000 sqft of office space is going to be sustainable. Capitol District left theirs out, and I doubt that Civic if its ever built will have theirs. However, having a big global firm like Hines behind it is incredibly exciting. Definitely leaves a little less doubt in that mind than some of the smaller local developers, no offense to them.

Incredible vision. I am a pessimist but even if the residential units, office space, etc. ends up scaled back this would be an incredible boost to downtown.

Garrett wrote:This looks incredible! Super exciting for downtown and the city.

Combined details and timeline:

Envisioned as a 10-year project that breaks ground in 2019, the initiative would build nine new structures containing roughly 500,000 square feet of office space, more than 80,000 square feet of retail space, a boutique hotel with up to 200 rooms and about 900 new residences.

I do have to wonder if the 500,000 sqft of office space is going to be sustainable. Capitol District left theirs out, and I doubt that Civic if its ever built will have theirs. However, having a big global firm like Hines behind it is incredibly exciting. Definitely leaves a little less doubt in that mind than some of the smaller local developers, no offense to them.

Will have to go back and do some digging, but off the top of my head west to east 192nd, West Farm, Methodist Office Redevelopment(smaller, but on the "Mixed-Use" bandwagon), Crossroads(who knows), Aksarben(getting close to tapped), Omaha Steel Land(if Nebraska Med ever moves here), Turner Park East, Civic Lot, Lanoha Tower, Lot B, ConAgra and River's Edge in CB. That has to be what over $4 or $5 billion in large scale projects(ignoring the small infill that will continue) that are in some form of the development process right now. Someone is going to be left out unless we start attracting a lot more population and job growth.

Wow, that's impressive.

Joe_Sovereign wrote:Incredible vision. I am a pessimist but even if the residential units, office space, etc. ends up scaled back this would be an incredible boost to downtown.

No question..

This is a very impressive and ambitious plan..Even 50% of the plan being built out would be a huge lift for downtown and the entire Old Market area...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Confirmed with someone from Hines that Great Wolf Lodge is 100% locked in as part of this development. Should be the cornerstone for the entire thing.

Great to see Omaha finally acting like a contender instead of a pretender.

DaveRodgers wrote:Confirmed with someone from Hines that Great Wolf Lodge is 100% locked in as part of this development. Should be the cornerstone for the entire thing.

Great to see Omaha finally acting like a contender instead of a pretender.

I feel like you're being sarcastic here given that there is no resort hotel included in the development.

Garrett wrote:

DaveRodgers wrote:Confirmed with someone from Hines that Great Wolf Lodge is 100% locked in as part of this development. Should be the cornerstone for the entire thing.

Great to see Omaha finally acting like a contender instead of a pretender.

I feel like you're being sarcastic here given that there is no resort hotel included in the development.

I guess we will see. Know they’ve been in talks since 2015.

DaveRodgers wrote:Confirmed with someone from Hines that Great Wolf Lodge is 100% locked in as part of this development. Should be the cornerstone for the entire thing.

Great to see Omaha finally acting like a contender instead of a pretender.

I’d be really surprised if that were true. They don’t do urban locations, especially ones that aren’t a family friendly tourist trap, and the article said they haven’t marketed the project at all so supposedly there are no tenants.

iamjacobm wrote:

Garrett wrote:This looks incredible! Super exciting for downtown and the city.

Combined details and timeline:

Envisioned as a 10-year project that breaks ground in 2019, the initiative would build nine new structures containing roughly 500,000 square feet of office space, more than 80,000 square feet of retail space, a boutique hotel with up to 200 rooms and about 900 new residences.

I do have to wonder if the 500,000 sqft of office space is going to be sustainable. Capitol District left theirs out, and I doubt that Civic if its ever built will have theirs. However, having a big global firm like Hines behind it is incredibly exciting. Definitely leaves a little less doubt in that mind than some of the smaller local developers, no offense to them.

Will have to go back and do some digging, but off the top of my head west to east 192nd, West Farm, Methodist Office Redevelopment(smaller, but on the "Mixed-Use" bandwagon), Crossroads(who knows), Aksarben(getting close to tapped), Omaha Steel Land(if Nebraska Med ever moves here), Turner Park East, Civic Lot, Lanoha Tower, Lot B, ConAgra and River's Edge in CB. That has to be what over $4 or $5 billion in large scale projects(ignoring the small infill that will continue) that are in some form of the development process right now. Someone is going to be left out unless we start attracting a lot more population and job growth.

I think that once the population growth comes, the jobs won't be an issue. I'm sure the lack of available, employable people in Omaha turns some businesses away. With so many great projects and initiatives planned for Omaha, along with the great business environment, it shouldn't be hard to convince many companies that Omaha would be a great home.

DaveRodgers wrote:

Garrett wrote:

DaveRodgers wrote:Confirmed with someone from Hines that Great Wolf Lodge is 100% locked in as part of this development. Should be the cornerstone for the entire thing.

Great to see Omaha finally acting like a contender instead of a pretender.

I feel like you're being sarcastic here given that there is no resort hotel included in the development.

I guess we will see. Know they’ve been in talks since 2015.

There is no indication that this could be true in any way..

But stranger things have happened. Time will reveal the validity of your intel..

And welcome to the forum ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

It is the European Village that we have always dreamed about. They must be keeping the Ferris Wheel design under wraps right now.

This thread is entirely too positive, and doesn't fit the normal reactions here. It's making me uncomfortable

Here, let me include some random negativity:

• -In the rendering it didn't include a Light Rail/Monorail/BRT/APC/MBT/AARP/whatever
  -Des Moines is likely going to get a similar development, but theirs will be a $600 Million development that will take 9 years
  -Lincoln's district has a Buffalo Wings and Rings though! This development sucks as it doesn't have that

There, the balance has been restored.


In all seriousness, while I highly doubt that the demand is there for that much commercial space, this is a beautiful repurpose of that area...and I'm excited about the street changes too.

MadMartin8 wrote:This thread is entirely too positive, and doesn't fit the normal reactions here. It's making me uncomfortable

Here, let me include some random negativity:

• -In the rendering it didn't include a Light Rail/Monorail/BRT/APC/MBT/AARP/whatever
  -Des Moines is likely going to get a similar development, but theirs will be a $600 Million development that will take 9 years
  -Lincoln's district has a Buffalo Wings and Rings though! This development sucks as it doesn't have that

There, the balance has been restored.


In all seriousness, while I highly doubt that the demand is there for that much commercial space, this is a beautiful repurpose of that area...and I'm excited about the street changes too.

You left out the needs for LOTS of surface parking and maybe a space for a Sam's club or Costco.

I was totally not expecting this modern type of design to extend the Old Market, but that Harney street courtyard looks like it could become another Entertainment District on its own. One element I did not see at first, but there is a Pedestrian Bridge to get people to the east side of the lake, with a landing that I can't figure out...

This will be a huge step back in the right direction. I hope they’ll do some combined coordination with Stinson’s committee and make sure it ties in seamlessly with redevelopment north to Lewis and Clark Landing and GLM.
I like the Harney extension, but wish they’d put back in some stronger north-south connections too, such as 9th St from Jackson to Harney and 8th St from Harney north to L&C Landing. Otherwise, this is very exciting, and it’s nice to see they’re not afraid to take out some of the big ugly red brick suburban ConAgra buildings!

With the potential to reconnect Conagra's downtown campus with rest of city, proposed project has Omaha leaders excited to get started

(Stinson) noted that the plan didn’t take into account some aspects of his committee’s concepts, including an idea to reduce the size of Conagra Lake at Heartland of America Park; the committee had proposed chopping the lake to 9 acres from 15 to make room to extend Farnam Street, allowing Gene Leahy Mall to open up to the Missouri River.

Interesting about Hines combining their plan with the Riverfront redevelopment plan. Shrinking the lake and extending Farnam plus the Harney Street Plaza would be very interesting.

I wonder though about the bridge over the lake or shrinking the lake if they might need to shrink the fountain as well. Anyone who has walked around the lake on even a moderately windy day (which is about everyday in Nebraska) knows the spray from the fountain doesn't stay inside the confines of the lake.

$200k+ Conagra IT Collaboration Space Renovation.

Joe_Sovereign wrote:Interesting about Hines combining their plan with the Riverfront redevelopment plan. Shrinking the lake and extending Farnam plus the Harney Street Plaza would be very interesting.

I wonder though about the bridge over the lake or shrinking the lake if they might need to shrink the fountain as well. Anyone who has walked around the lake on even a moderately windy day (which is about everyday in Nebraska) knows the spray from the fountain doesn't stay inside the confines of the lake.

Do not bring up turning down the fountain. Isn't it still the 2nd tallest fountain in the world? I know at one point it was.

They slipped this into the park article.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/downtow ... 02acd.html

Tom D’Arcy, senior manager of Houston-based Hines, the developer leading the Conagra campus project, said his team has been working with the riverfront committee’s architects to help ensure that their visions mesh. He said the groups agreed that the size of Conagra Lake at Heartland of America Park would shrink.

D’Arcy called the riverfront committee’s plan an “enormous positive” for Conagra.

The first phase of the Conagra plan includes a 350-unit apartment building, a 720-space parking garage, 50,000 square feet of retail space and a hotel that should lead to $100 million in investment, said D’Arcy. It is to break ground next summer.

Generating more housing is essential to the future of downtown, and an additional hotel means tourist dollars and mouths to feed at lunch and dinner time.

I'm rather surprised by the city's recent ability to add and fill hotel rooms downtown. I wonder how reliant these hotels are on the various annual events held, like the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders meeting, CWS, swim trials/March Madness tournaments, etc., to turn a profit.

I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:54 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Weird? What's weird is a suburban office campus & lake downtown. Weird? What's weird is a "rollercoaster" elevated freeway thru suburban Old Mill, a concrete "monster" ruining the asthetics & feel of a ritzy suburban area of residential & commercial real estate. Weird? What's wierd is a rigid, mint green building rising tall in Old Mill, with a strange "Dr Suess" speckling of windows on the backside, hated by many Omahans. (I get the high design, trendy speckling, but thats too much for Omaha at this point, imo). Weird? What's weird is a fat, squatty, cube, green building downtown when the rest of Downtown Omaha has much more slender, proportional buildings. (I like the UP Building overall, but it could have been tweaked to be better, imo.) I'd love to hear Seattle's & Minneapolis' dumb urban mistakes -- can't think of any. What are they? I can think of at least one or two in NYC. The Con Agra lake campus put downtown is an inarguable urban mistake. Yet, in itself, the Con Agra campus is great design, imo. The concept of low & rambling, Prairie Style brick buildings w/ hipped gable roofs -- all looking alike, yet each a bit different, complimenting & playing off each other -- set as a family of coordinated structures around a lake & fountain, fronted by an entrance w/ flags & a clocktower, is an eye-pleasing & tasteful choice for a company's campus. It just doesnt belong in a major city's downtown. Now, we are loosing that coordinated & pleasing design theme & rhythm found within that campus, inserting new & strange alien structures on open lawn spaces, while keeping the overall "big mistake" around. Except, it's getting even worse, imo. REALLY?!?! (I wouldnt even allow that odd mixmesh & jumble of structures to happen in my SimCity 4 city, much less a real one.) Sometimes, I wonder if these designers are forced to work w/ the "game rules" city planners must give them -- forced to whip up some great plan with unmovable structures remaining in place, not able to have a "blank slate" to work with. I dont want to disrespect any Omaha leaders, but I often wonder if those (or some) in charge in Omaha just dont "get it."

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:34 pm

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:54 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Weird? What's weird is a suburban office campus & lake downtown. Weird? What's weird is a "rollercoaster" elevated freeway thru Old Mill, ruining the asthetics & feel of a ritzy area. Weird? What's wierd is a mint green building in Old Mill, with a strange "Dr Suess" speckling of windows on the backside, hated by many Omahans. (I get the high design, trendy speckling, but thats too much for Omaha at this point, imo). Weird? What's weird is a fat, squatty, cube, green building downtown when the rest of Downtown Omaha has much more slender, proportional buildings. (I like the UP Building overall, but it could have been tweaked to be better, imo.) I'd love to hear Seattle's & Minneapolis' dumb urban mistakes -- can't think of any. What are they? I can think of at least one or two in NYC. The Con Agra lake campus put downtown is an inarguable urban mistake. Yet, in itself, the Con Agra campus is great design, imo. The concept of low & rambling, Prairie Style brick buildings w/ hipped gable roofs -- all looking alike, yet each a bit different, complimenting & playing off each other -- set as a family of coordinated structures around a lake & fountain, fronted by an entrance w/ flags & a clocktower, is an eye-pleasing & tasteful choice for a company's campus. It just doesnt belong in a major city's downtown. Now, we are loosing that coordinated & pleasing design theme & rhythm found within that campus, inserting new & strange alien structures on open lawn spaces, while keeping the overall "big mistake" around. Except, it's getting even worse, imo. REALLY?!?! (I wouldnt even allow that odd mixmesh & jumble of structures to happen in my SimCity 4 city, much less a real one.) Sometimes, I wonder if these designers are forced to work w/ the "game rules" city planners must give them -- forced to whip up some great plan with unmovable structures remaining in place, not able to have a "blank slate" to work with. I dont want to disrespect any Omaha leaders, but I often wonder if those (or some) in charge in Omaha just dont "get it."

Seattle let Amazon run amok, built the Alaskan Way viaduct, and built a streetcar without dedicated lanes for it. Minneapolis invented the indoor shopping mall and built a series of street activity killing skyways.

Old Mill is definitely not ritzy.

The TD Ameritrade building's windows are supposed to look like an old stock ticker. I'm a little confused by the rest of your statement. The architecture it employs is too bold for Omaha, but the UP building is not bold enough?

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:58 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:34 pm

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:54 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Weird? What's weird is a suburban office campus & lake downtown. Weird? What's weird is a "rollercoaster" elevated freeway thru Old Mill, ruining the asthetics & feel of a ritzy area. Weird? What's wierd is a mint green building in Old Mill, with a strange "Dr Suess" speckling of windows on the backside, hated by many Omahans. (I get the high design, trendy speckling, but thats too much for Omaha at this point, imo). Weird? What's weird is a fat, squatty, cube, green building downtown when the rest of Downtown Omaha has much more slender, proportional buildings. (I like the UP Building overall, but it could have been tweaked to be better, imo.) I'd love to hear Seattle's & Minneapolis' dumb urban mistakes -- can't think of any. What are they? I can think of at least one or two in NYC. The Con Agra lake campus put downtown is an inarguable urban mistake. Yet, in itself, the Con Agra campus is great design, imo. The concept of low & rambling, Prairie Style brick buildings w/ hipped gable roofs -- all looking alike, yet each a bit different, complimenting & playing off each other -- set as a family of coordinated structures around a lake & fountain, fronted by an entrance w/ flags & a clocktower, is an eye-pleasing & tasteful choice for a company's campus. It just doesnt belong in a major city's downtown. Now, we are loosing that coordinated & pleasing design theme & rhythm found within that campus, inserting new & strange alien structures on open lawn spaces, while keeping the overall "big mistake" around. Except, it's getting even worse, imo. REALLY?!?! (I wouldnt even allow that odd mixmesh & jumble of structures to happen in my SimCity 4 city, much less a real one.) Sometimes, I wonder if these designers are forced to work w/ the "game rules" city planners must give them -- forced to whip up some great plan with unmovable structures remaining in place, not able to have a "blank slate" to work with. I dont want to disrespect any Omaha leaders, but I often wonder if those (or some) in charge in Omaha just dont "get it."

Seattle let Amazon run amok, built the Alaskan Way viaduct, and built a streetcar without dedicated lanes for it. Minneapolis invented the indoor shopping mall and built a series of street activity killing skyways.

Old Mill is definitely not ritzy.

The TD Ameritrade building's windows are supposed to look like an old stock ticker. I'm a little confused by the rest of your statement. The architecture it employs is too bold for Omaha, but the UP building is not bold enough?

Just throw up to PoMo/Euro revivalist stuff and I’m sure he’d be kosher. Most of the complaints are just about architecture, not planning.

As for a list of NYC mistakes:

Literally the entire state of the subway these days. Hardly handicap accessible whatsoever with a ~$20 billion backlog of repairs.

Freeways surround Manhattan and block off most of the coast.

The destruction of the old Penn Station for the new Penn Station.

heck, most of the new World Trade Center is also just glass boxes, but maybe they’re the more palatable type.

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:58 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:34 pm

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:54 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Weird? What's weird is a suburban office campus & lake downtown. Weird? What's weird is a "rollercoaster" elevated freeway thru Old Mill, ruining the asthetics & feel of a ritzy area. Weird? What's wierd is a mint green building in Old Mill, with a strange "Dr Suess" speckling of windows on the backside, hated by many Omahans. (I get the high design, trendy speckling, but thats too much for Omaha at this point, imo). Weird? What's weird is a fat, squatty, cube, green building downtown when the rest of Downtown Omaha has much more slender, proportional buildings. (I like the UP Building overall, but it could have been tweaked to be better, imo.) I'd love to hear Seattle's & Minneapolis' dumb urban mistakes -- can't think of any. What are they? I can think of at least one or two in NYC. The Con Agra lake campus put downtown is an inarguable urban mistake. Yet, in itself, the Con Agra campus is great design, imo. The concept of low & rambling, Prairie Style brick buildings w/ hipped gable roofs -- all looking alike, yet each a bit different, complimenting & playing off each other -- set as a family of coordinated structures around a lake & fountain, fronted by an entrance w/ flags & a clocktower, is an eye-pleasing & tasteful choice for a company's campus. It just doesnt belong in a major city's downtown. Now, we are loosing that coordinated & pleasing design theme & rhythm found within that campus, inserting new & strange alien structures on open lawn spaces, while keeping the overall "big mistake" around. Except, it's getting even worse, imo. REALLY?!?! (I wouldnt even allow that odd mixmesh & jumble of structures to happen in my SimCity 4 city, much less a real one.) Sometimes, I wonder if these designers are forced to work w/ the "game rules" city planners must give them -- forced to whip up some great plan with unmovable structures remaining in place, not able to have a "blank slate" to work with. I dont want to disrespect any Omaha leaders, but I often wonder if those (or some) in charge in Omaha just dont "get it."

Seattle let Amazon run amok, built the Alaskan Way viaduct, and built a streetcar without dedicated lanes for it. Minneapolis invented the indoor shopping mall and built a series of street activity killing skyways.

Old Mill is definitely not ritzy.

The TD Ameritrade building's windows are supposed to look like an old stock ticker. I'm a little confused by the rest of your statement. The architecture it employs is too bold for Omaha, but the UP building is not bold enough?

I just knew if I didnt say "Old Mill/Regency" somebody was going to say Old Mill is not ritzy. Yes, in a way it is... I'm talking about the general area with Regency and all the nice office buildings of Old Mill & Miracle Hills -- all blocks from each other. I used to like that area, but now that darn serpentine concrete "monster" ruins it all, imo. Every time I'm there, I'm saying to myself "Oh come on...it's not that bad." Then, I look at how it is practically almost scraping the First National Bank tower, and speeding nearby tires on Dodge are practically throwing little pebbles at its windows all day long... Then, I order coffee at McDonalds, and Im in a cold shadow w/ loud cars zooming above me, all by this looming & grey "concrete wall" that divides the suburbs. Then, I look over and see the "Doublemint" office building hovering nearby, with the itty-bitty windows speckled all over the broad backside, and I almost cringe... I almost hate it all now. (I knew the creative inspiration was stock ticker tape. I get it. I totally like HOK's designs. Ultra-trendy buildings like that work well in Germany or London maybe... But, that was just not appropriate for SUBURBAN Omaha. I'm sorry... Just too much for Old Mill. Many Omahans hate that building's backside. Why can't we more careful, and fully consider the setting?)

Seattle: I agree that Seattle's Alaskan Way is an eyesore, but at least the double decker freeway in Seattle is downtown -- not in the suburbs (like Omaha, NE). Also, many waterfront cities did that same thing back then, as stringing the freeway conveniently on the edge of downtown along the water seemed more logical than straight through a narrow downtown.

Minneapolis: Malls & skyways can end up being a mistake later, but not necessarily at the time, because of patterns shifting. (Minneapolis may have one thing that slightly bugs me, but I wouldn't call it a "mistake" necessarily. The AT&T "Artichoke" building that flowers outward at the top: Great & exciting design, imo. But, its a little too dinky of a building for that surprising flamboyant flair, imo. Yet, the building is as big as the Woodmen, it just looks a little dinky in Minneapolis compared to other structures. It still works overall, imo. I just would enlarge it by 15-20% to be perfect, imo. Here's the view where it looks kinda dinky & flashy all at once: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 070805.jpg)

Omaha's UP Building: I like the splash of green glass downtown, and I'm glad Omaha got that new building. But, it could have been perfected more, imo. Our largest office building is built downtown, and instead of getting another skyscraper (which many critcize Omaha's skyline not having enough of), instead they fit all that square footage into a fat, squatty cube (that is probably as big of a square as the base of the Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago, filling an entire square block also, but barely taller than our telephone building). Ok... Could they not have pinched it a little tighter, so it was a little more lofty and matched the slender towers around it more? (Since that glassy cube style was "in" then, ok fine. But, Tulsa's glass cube is better designed & better looking, imo. Tulsa's building: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... Center.jpg)

It's "off" things like that...and seemingly silly missed opportunities...

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:11 pm

TitosBuritoBarn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:58 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:34 pm

Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:54 pm

RockHarbor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:28 pm I'm totally excited for the change, and think they did a good job, but I don't like the original Con Agra buildings & their almost Prairie Style architecture, intermingling with and among a host of new buildings & new thinking & new design. I wish they would rid the area of any trace of them. What? They can take a wrecking ball to Jobber Canyon's irreplaceable historic buildings, but we have to save several buildings that have a character level similar to office buildings around Westroads?? I realize they are working, modern buildings, but still... Omaha seems to have a "Cut corners & Save Money" mindset above all else, including their concern over the look & feel of the permanent city. Just tired of it. Who builds a suburban campus downtown on a river, cozy around a lake, and then years later, squeezes in completely different buildings on open lawn space between those buildings (big open lawn space that should have never been downtown to begin with)?? ONLY OMAHA. No wonder we will likely never look as good as Minneapolis or Seattle. It was all a boost to downtown (thankfully), but an urban mistake -- now with a chance to correct it. Lets not make it all an even worse mistake -- with no further chance.

You seem to have some weird conceptions about architecture/urban design as it related to Omaha. Plenty of other cities, including Minneapolis and Seattle and even New York, have done outright dumb things in the past. Living there you would notice. As a tourist you don’t. They’re also larger cities with better ability to cover up said mistakes more quickly. This Hines development is the correction. Give it time.

Weird? What's weird is a suburban office campus & lake downtown. Weird? What's weird is a "rollercoaster" elevated freeway thru Old Mill, ruining the asthetics & feel of a ritzy area. Weird? What's wierd is a mint green building in Old Mill, with a strange "Dr Suess" speckling of windows on the backside, hated by many Omahans. (I get the high design, trendy speckling, but thats too much for Omaha at this point, imo). Weird? What's weird is a fat, squatty, cube, green building downtown when the rest of Downtown Omaha has much more slender, proportional buildings. (I like the UP Building overall, but it could have been tweaked to be better, imo.) I'd love to hear Seattle's & Minneapolis' dumb urban mistakes -- can't think of any. What are they? I can think of at least one or two in NYC. The Con Agra lake campus put downtown is an inarguable urban mistake. Yet, in itself, the Con Agra campus is great design, imo. The concept of low & rambling, Prairie Style brick buildings w/ hipped gable roofs -- all looking alike, yet each a bit different, complimenting & playing off each other -- set as a family of coordinated structures around a lake & fountain, fronted by an entrance w/ flags & a clocktower, is an eye-pleasing & tasteful choice for a company's campus. It just doesnt belong in a major city's downtown. Now, we are loosing that coordinated & pleasing design theme & rhythm found within that campus, inserting new & strange alien structures on open lawn spaces, while keeping the overall "big mistake" around. Except, it's getting even worse, imo. REALLY?!?! (I wouldnt even allow that odd mixmesh & jumble of structures to happen in my SimCity 4 city, much less a real one.) Sometimes, I wonder if these designers are forced to work w/ the "game rules" city planners must give them -- forced to whip up some great plan with unmovable structures remaining in place, not able to have a "blank slate" to work with. I dont want to disrespect any Omaha leaders, but I often wonder if those (or some) in charge in Omaha just dont "get it."

Seattle let Amazon run amok, built the Alaskan Way viaduct, and built a streetcar without dedicated lanes for it. Minneapolis invented the indoor shopping mall and built a series of street activity killing skyways.

Old Mill is definitely not ritzy.

The TD Ameritrade building's windows are supposed to look like an old stock ticker. I'm a little confused by the rest of your statement. The architecture it employs is too bold for Omaha, but the UP building is not bold enough?

Just throw up to PoMo/Euro revivalist stuff and I’m sure he’d be kosher. Most of the complaints are just about architecture, not planning.

As for a list of NYC mistakes:

Literally the entire state of the subway these days. Hardly handicap accessible whatsoever with a ~$20 billion backlog of repairs.

Freeways surround Manhattan and block off most of the coast.

The destruction of the old Penn Station for the new Penn Station.

heck, most of the new World Trade Center is also just glass boxes, but maybe they’re the more palatable type.

You're right; When I say "urban mistakes", I'm more architecture/design orientated overall. You're better at recognizing city life/mechanics/pattern urban mistakes than I am. Even with New York, I was thinking of certain very criticized buildings.