The city Omaha passed on

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:31 pm

With all this Elkhorn talk... I thought it no better time to do a photo shoot of downtown Ralston... which I am convinced most Omahans have no idea even exists.

Click here for photos

jsheets · Post by **jsheets** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:44 pm

Nice pics of downtown Ralston!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:19 pm

Not much there....I know. Great pictures, though.

I live about 2 blocks southwest of downtown Ralston, off of Ralston Avenue.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:25 pm

For a 'town' of 6,000... I'd say it looks pretty nice (alot nicer than 'downtown' Millard!) ... I think they did a great job with their streetscape work.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:31 am

Nice pics Jeff. I wonder how the development on 72nd Street will improve the economy/tax base of Ralston. Ralston may be small - but yes they do have a 'downtown' that is better than Millard or La Vista - wait - La Vista has no downtown. I would even say it is better than Papillion's and Bellevue's.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:04 am

It's just a strip development (as Aaron likes to make sure everyone knows... you know we couldn't figure it out otherwise

)... but aesthetically speaking, it's being done pretty well.

Similar development will be done on the east side of 72nd... along with a medical building where the 'lawn sculpture' business used to be.

GoWest · Post by **GoWest** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:01 am

I think the Omaha metro is a better place for not annexing Ralston. When you have towns like this they bring their own feel and sense of civic pride to the metro. It’s something that I don't see in Millard. Its something that I think Elkhorn will lose when they are annexed. Not right a way, because it will be fresh and the residents have formed a save Elkhorn bond. But as more residents move in and put Omaha on their address, the community pride that Elkhorn had will dissipate.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:30 am

Yeah, but you restore that pride by creating "districts" or "neighborhoods" that have the name of those cities like Omaha by Design detailed.

live about 2 blocks southwest of downtown Ralston, off of Ralston Avenue.

Yeah, those pictures were gicing me flash backs to highscool summers.

Giving me, even.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 12:33 pm

GoWest... there is a big distinction between Ralston and Millard. Ralston had a fairly well established business district/hub before the post WWII boom. Millard's growth came in the aftermath of WWII... it's CBD never becoming a focal point of local commerce (the massive Western Electric plant provided that). For all intents and purposes... it was just a big housing subdivision.

Now that said... take a look at Dundee, Florence, Benson... these districts have as much 'civic' pride as any neighborhoods within the city of Omaha. All because they revolve about CBD's which still have a draw to the surrounding community to this day.

If Elkhorn loses that identity... it is because it constitutes essentially no more than another west Omaha residential suburb. Last time I drove through 'downtown' Elkhorn... it had less activity than even 'downtown' Millard. Hopefully, the city of Omaha will invest some money in improving the Elkhorn CBD streetscape... as is being down in other parts of Omaha (and is proposed in Millard Town Center). Not sure why Elkhorn hasn't been as pro-active.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:23 pm

Maybe cause the majority of people who live in Elkhorn and champion it's 138 year history just moved there a year or two ago.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:18 pm

Exactly jhuston. The denizens of Florence and Benson probably relate more to their neighborhood/part of town than being a citizen of Omaha. There is plenty of pride there and it is ridiculous to think this would change Elkhorn.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:20 pm

Also, great pics of Ralston. I did a little work there years ago and always liked Ralston. They did a great job with the streetscape and I think they have always had good leadership.

GoWest · Post by **GoWest** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:37 pm

jhuston wrote:GoWest... there is a big distinction between Ralston and Millard. Ralston had a fairly well established business district/hub before the post WWII boom. Millard's growth came in the aftermath of WWII... it's CBD never becoming a focal point of local commerce (the massive Western Electric plant provided that). For all intents and purposes... it was just a big housing subdivision.

Now that said... take a look at Dundee, Florence, Benson... these districts have as much 'civic' pride as any neighborhoods within the city of Omaha. All because they revolve about CBD's which still have a draw to the surrounding community to this day.

If Elkhorn loses that identity... it is because it constitutes essentially no more than another west Omaha residential suburb. Last time I drove through 'downtown' Elkhorn... it had less activity than even 'downtown' Millard. Hopefully, the city of Omaha will invest some money in improving the Elkhorn CBD streetscape... as is being down in other parts of Omaha (and is proposed in Millard Town Center). Not sure why Elkhorn hasn't been as pro-active.

I'm not going to disagree about how Millard’s growth came about, and so on. Millard, Elkhorn and all of the suburbs are, as far as I’m concerned, growing like they are because of Omaha. I am talking about the community pride that is involved with these communities. Elkhorn’s people have been showing it everyday. Elkhorn is their identity. Much like the citizens of Bellevue, Ralston, Papillion and so on. I wouldn’t expect a warm welcome in those cities either if Omaha wanted to strip them of their identity and slap an Omaha label on it. It’s not the same to have Omaha “let” you still call your area of town Millard or Elkhorn. I don't expect many people on this forum to understand. That’s ok. Having lived recently in La Vista, there was a real sense of community and I enjoyed it. I think that is the small town type feel everyone keeps talking about. Everybody knows La Vista, Elkhorn, Ralston and where ever, is part of the Omaha metro. They will never be "small towns". Just ask someone from York, a similar sized city, if those are small towns. I do think the services; for the most part will be better in Elkhorn. I have never been impressed with Omaha’s trash service though. Their police response times may rise, but will have a more professional officer with more resources at their disposal when they do arrive.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 6:45 pm

GoWest... my point was... the people I know from Dundee, Florence, Benson, etc... still identify themselves as being from these areas as well. Heck... I even tell people I live in Millard... and I'm not even old enough to remember the annexation. Elkhorn will remain Elkhorn... and the growth which was occuring prior to annexation... and will continue to happen after annexation... will be what drives the changes in 'Elkhorn'... not the annexation itself.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:33 pm

Did anyone see the article in the OWH a while back about a few Millard business leaders are trying raise money to have Millard re-painted on the water tower. MUD which owns the tower said it would be ok if they came up with the money.

sokkerdewd · Post by **sokkerdewd** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:38 pm

I saw that article about the tower & think it would be great...it would give some more identity back to that area and offer up some differenciation, rather than the bland blue they have there now.

Btw, regarding the topic at hand...Maria's Mexican Restaurant deep fried tacos are worth making the trip to Ralston.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:50 pm

The towers would also be great because people coould go on "tower hunts" and if they were placed in pretty, not well known areas like this one, it would increase awareness of Omaha matero area's beauty.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:08 pm

Ralston is getting a little recognition:

OWH wrote:Ralston's landlocked but lively

It's more than a top-flight Fourth of July celebration that makes Ralston the Independence City.

The nickname could apply just as well to the city's ability to avoid annexation by Omaha.

Ralston and Omaha leaders recognize a long-standing "gentlemen's agreement" that the big city won't swallow up the town. In return for its independence, Ralston has agreed to stay within its current 1.5-square-mile area.

No such agreement is in the offing for Elkhorn in its annexation fight with Omaha. Elkhorn has consistently expanded its boundaries.

Omaha says allowing Elkhorn to become a Ralston is not an option.

While Millard, Dundee, Florence, South Omaha and Benson have succumbed to Omaha, Ralston is a survivor.

"We can be a darn good town, a fine place to live without being the largest town," said former Ralston Mayor Wendell Kronberg, who forged the gentlemen's agreement in 1967.

Today there is little question Ralston residents will continue receiving neighborhood-level city services: quick snowplowing of streets, emergency response from close-to-home police and fire departments, and a library that's all their own.

But an inability to expand its boundaries, which run generally between 72nd and 84th Streets from L to Harrison Street, hasn't meant stagnation. Growth in Ralston, which was incorporated in 1912, equates more to revitalization.

The city has dressed up its downtown. The last bits of empty land have become a new housing subdivision and a developing business center.

Still, business growth sometimes comes slower than city leaders want. Ralston's population dropped by 73 people, about 1 percent, between 2000 and 2003. Property taxes for city government are about 50 percent higher than for Omaha.

But Mayor Don Groesser said the city is maintained well and continues to become a better place to live and work.

"We are landlocked," he said. "But we're not dead."

A sign at 84th and Q Streets marks the entrance to Ralston, which touts itself as "The Independence City."

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:21 pm

Great pics of DT Ralston Jeff. They have done an amazing job with fixing it up. Millard could take a few lessons. I also think DT Elkhorn is a dump.
Take a drive through and see for yourself. Definitely lost in a time warp.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 8:25 pm

Hopefully when Millard Lumber finally moves on to it's new digs... Millard Town Center willl become a reality. Downtown Papillion isn't so hot either. It has some nice buildings, some hiding behind those warped 60's/70's efforts to hide the 'old looking' brick... which we hold in such high regard today.