http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10424021
JOSEPH MORTON WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Now the LoDo — lower downtown — area has blossomed into a mix of retail shopping, loft apartments, bars and entertainment venues and a wide range of restaurants. A pedestrian walkway stretches down 16th Street. Larimer Street, which Fahey described as a "skid row" in the 1960s, has new developments springing up.
It's the sort of redevelopment Omaha has seen, with the conversion of new loft apartments around the Old Market area, Fahey said, and what he would like to see happen in North Downtown — north downtown — the area around the planned ballpark.
Fahey returned to Union Station last week while attending the Democratic National Convention. It was the first time he had been back to the station since he worked there almost four decades ago.
Cruising around the area, Fahey passed construction site after construction site.
"They've got a lot of cranes in the air," Fahey said.
While there, he ran into Charleston, S.C., Mayor Joe Riley, who was taking notes for his own city's redevelopment plans.
Riley pointed out where Denver has planned for additional green space around the station. He and Fahey walked across a new bridge near the city's light-rail tracks, connecting the area around Union Station to development on the other side of the train tracks.
The Millennium Bridge is decorated with floral planters, and a set of condo-and-retail buildings flank it on the far side. Its highlight is a tapered steel mast, resembling a sailboat.
"This is really cool," Fahey said as he surveyed the bridge design. "This is really nice."
A similar pedestrian bridge would work in Omaha, he said, to carry people from the new ballpark over the train tracks to the Missouri River and the large pedestrian bridge spanning the river.
Fahey praised Denver's use of public transportation, with its streetcars and light rail — two concepts considered in Omaha.
Omaha doesn't have the population yet to support a light rail system, Fahey said.
But he continues to pursue a streetcar system, though it's unlikely to get off the ground before he leaves office in May. Fahey said he is working on a funding plan for the $55 million project, which might involve creating a special taxing district to help pay for construction.
JOSEPH MORTON WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:"It'll have a very familiar ring to it as we develop our ballpark," he said. "I think it'll be a catalyst for redevelopment around the area — you'll see more eateries, more restaurants and probably just more attractions around that area, which is exactly what you see around the Rockies' stadium."
Of course, the Denver stadium has a Major League Baseball team, while the Triple-A Omaha Royals are talking about leaving town. Fahey said he expects a decision will be made on the future of the Omaha club in about six months.
"I want to work out a deal with the Royals if at all possible, but I don't think we can wait until the last minute before we make a decision on what's the highest and best use of that stadium, if in fact the Royals are not going to come," he said. "We need to be proactive in our recruitment of the Royals or some other team."
The city has received a couple of letters of interest, he said. Roger Dixon, president of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, said this week that MECA is talking to an independent league team about coming to Omaha.
The new stadium also might be built to accommodate soccer, Fahey said, although Creighton University already has a soccer facility nearby. And some outdoor concerts are expected to use the park, he said.
