Aksarben Village (67th & Center)

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:46 pm

Haha. I can't believe the forum alias "Omaha" was available...

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:23 pm

A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Post by **Brad** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:27 pm

ShawJ wrote:A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Let me guess... City-Data?

If so I would not believe it... I still don't see why anyone posts on that forum.

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:29 pm

Brad wrote:
ShawJ wrote:A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Let me guess... City-Data? If so I would not believe it... I still don't see why anyone posts on that forum.

Yeah, it was on C-D. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything about this project.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:37 pm

Brad wrote:
ShawJ wrote:A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Let me guess... City-Data? If so I would not believe it... I still don't see why anyone posts on that forum.

Probably because its a national forum so you aren't just talking with Omahans about Omaha things and you get more than 1 perspective, and not all the people are lonely men.................

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:14 pm

Axel wrote:
Brad wrote:
ShawJ wrote:A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Let me guess... City-Data? If so I would not believe it... I still don't see why anyone posts on that forum.
Probably because its a national forum so you aren't just talking with Omahans about Omaha things and you get more than 1 perspective, and not all the people are lonely men.................

I'd be careful--not everyone on here is a "lonely man." Plus, a lot of the people that aren't from Omaha that comment on Omaha don't have our perspective (which is why i wouldn't go to a Milwaukee forum and act like i knew what i was talking about). And you haven't been alive long enough to have experienced a lot of what many of us have around here.

I'd include a "

" but I'd only be half kidding.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:41 pm

thenewguy wrote:
Axel wrote:
Brad wrote:
ShawJ wrote:A poster said on another forum that the movie theater pulled out and that Noddle is in trouble. I haven't heard about this... have I been under a rock or is that all just speculation?

Let me guess... City-Data? If so I would not believe it... I still don't see why anyone posts on that forum.
Probably because its a national forum so you aren't just talking with Omahans about Omaha things and you get more than 1 perspective, and not all the people are lonely men.................
I'd be careful--not everyone on here is a "lonely man." Plus, a lot of the people that aren't from Omaha that comment on Omaha don't have our perspective (which is why i wouldn't go to a Milwaukee forum and act like i knew what i was talking about). And you haven't been alive long enough to have experienced a lot of what many of us have around here.

I'd include a " " but I'd only be half kidding.

Ohh the lonely men thing was meant to be a joke(sort of), but still I have a lot of friends on C-D and you should try it before you shoot at it (I know you did brad but there are far more members in our own forum now, we have a woman who lives in Portland who used to live in Omaha, a woman from Northwest Arkansas, a woman from California who moved to Omaha and then several rural Nebraskans now too, from every corner of the state.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:27 am

Noddle in trouble? Yeah right. They are one of the most reputable development companies in Omaha with hundreds properties across the US. I highly doubt they are "in trouble."

Harpoon · Post by **Harpoon** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:49 am

The theater is John Hughes' development, but I haven't heard anything about it pulling out.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:41 pm

The base of a tower crane is in place where the new BCBS headquarters will be. Also they are erecting steel for the obelisk structure at 67th and Center. They are going quick on it because I think they started today and it looks like they are already at about 40 feet. Foundation work is well underway for Mammel Hall on Pine street as well. This whole area is a flurry of activity.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:59 pm

Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:03 pm

What is this obelisk structure you speak of?

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:09 pm

wow, that went up fast, when i was there around 1 they were only at about the 3rd level.

The obelisk is a decorative structure as an "entrance" to aksarben village. It anchors the small park they are building at 67th and Center. I believe in total it will be 90ft high. It looked a lot smaller in the plans, now that I see it up close I am not sure if I like it. It will definitely make a statement thats for sure.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:18 pm

I took those photos of the obelisk around 3:00. So I guess it is going fast - it looks like their might be a stairwell inside looking at the landings.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:33 pm

Im sure it will just be a maintenance stairwell, no observation deck on this one :;): It might look pretty cool at night with some colored lighting

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:56 pm

Here is another one from further east.
This is really going to stand out.
I need to get a pic from the top of the hill looking east.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:00 am

AWESOME.

Glad to see this materialize! It's a lot bigger than I imagined, as well. This should be a FABULOUS anchor to that green space, an amazing entrance to Aksarben Village, and a veritable new landmark for the city.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:00 am

Last night I had to go the the Mart, then I stopped by Qdoba so I decided to swing through Aksarben Village on the way to look for some trains.

Sorry, With the weather, I didn't spend much time working on "good" photos

1. Apartments

2. Apartments

3. Pinhook Flats

4. Pinhook Flats

5. The Courtyard is now open

6. Really bad pic of the tower crane

7. Looking south at the tower

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:59 pm

That sure is one large sign. Aksarben Village is looking sharp.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:28 pm

Here are a few more:

and the tower crane is slowly rising.

SaOmaha · Post by **SaOmaha** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:34 pm

Yesterday on my way to the zoo using westbound Center street, I passed Aksarben Village and the frame of the Aksarben Square Obelisk

On the way from zoo, passing Aksarben Village on center street. You see Aksarben Square Obelisk straight ahead.

10thstgoober · Post by **10thstgoober** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:13 am

Aksarben Village timetable revised

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10593610

The recession has delayed by at least six months construction of Aksarben Village's entertainment complex, which will be anchored by a 10-screen movie theater.

No bigs, still way ahead of the original 7-10 year time-line . Juice Stop opens next month!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:39 pm

Aksarben Village timetable revised

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10593610

CHRISTINE LAUE WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The recession has delayed by at least six months construction of Aksarben Village's entertainment complex, which will be anchored by a 10-screen movie theater.

Also because of the economy, construction will occur in phases instead of all at once, the developer said.

"With the economy and the size and scale of the movie theater, it makes sense to build that first," said John Hughes, president of Magnum Development Corp., the developer of the entertainment complex. It sits on Mercy Road between 67th Street and Aksarben Drive.

Other phases, including a building with a fitness center and another building with a signature restaurant, won't start until after the movie theater construction is well under way, Hughes said.

Developers said last fall that they planned to open the theater, fitness center and two restaurants simultaneously in fall 2009. Now the plan is to open the movie theater in late summer 2010 and to proceed with the other phases after that, he said.

"Our vision remains the same, we're just going to phase things differently," Hughes said. "Hopefully, it doesn't get delayed any further. But that's the biggest problem with the economy today is the uncertainty."

The development company now is "working hard on the financing and design," Hughes said.

Banks today are more thorough in underwriting construction loans, requiring more cost estimates and other details, he said.

"Everything just takes so much longer these days. We used to have three meetings to borrow $30 million, and now you have 30 meetings to borrow $3 million. . . . Previously, it took longer to get ground, or the hardest part was zoning. Today the hardest part is getting financing."

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:06 am

It is not surprising that the project has been delayed a bit, but its great to see that its all still moving forward. Have they don any more to that massive sign.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:23 pm

They are "cladding" the obelisk as of Thursday. Here are some update photos, and some general photos.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:29 pm

I didn't see a dedicated thread for the BCBS building, but the tower crane is going up.

JPenny · Post by **JPenny** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:33 pm

idk if it matters but that tower crane has been sitting like that for at least a week now. But im excited to see that building start to go up. This is probably one of my favorite projects going on right now!

Post by **Brad** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:34 pm

JPenny wrote:idk if it matters but that tower crane has been sitting like that for at least a week now.

A week... Look at my post from 3/10/2009 try a month!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:23 am

Yeah, I knew I had seen it sitting there for a LOONG time, but I just figured I'd post it anyway. At least the photos show that the site has active work going on.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:13 pm

Yeah, I think there was an article in the OWH not too long ago about it. I think it's great as that is a PERFECT spot for a coffee shop. I think Starbuck's is CRAZY for closing that store just as Aksarben Village was getting it's phase 1 going.

It worked out, though, because I definitely prefer Scooter's over Starbuck's.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:02 pm

If I remember correctly I saw a sign in a window on 67th that said Juice Stop would be opening soon

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:21 pm

More cladding.

I'm wondering how this will look when finished, with the way the panels have space between them... Will this lend itself to some sort of interesting lighting scheme?

I have to say, I'm a little tired of the bland beige color of these panels, just like the boring beige used for most of Aksarben Village, Midtown Crossing, West Dodge Expressway and most new interstate construction, Gallup... (Swift, you know what I'm talking about). It's a little too safe and boring.

Anyway, I'll reserve judgment until it's finished.

Harpoon · Post by **Harpoon** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:42 pm

The lighting will make the tower look pretty sweet regardless of the precast panels stuck on the side.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:13 pm

I really don't mind the beige being used all over town. I agree they could use more vibrant materials, but the beige will stay in style much longer than other treatments. I think if they light it cool and add some artistic flair, it can still be very nice. Like you I plan on reserving judgment until it is finished.

SaOmaha · Post by **SaOmaha** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:27 pm

Today on my way to the Lauritzen Gardens using westbound Center street, I passed Aksarben Village
and the nearly covered frame of the Aksarben Square Obelisk

I saw construction of some type of bandshell or cover performance stage
near the creek on the west side of Aksarben Square.

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:06 am

You did indeed see a bandshell.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:57 am

Steel is already up 3 stories for part of the BCBS building, I had no idea they were starting so soon.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:51 am

3 stories of steel? Did they ever finish the tower crane? I have a vision in my head of what that sign is going to look like, I hope its similar.

SaOmaha · Post by **SaOmaha** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:47 pm

Last night I was looking at the Aksarben Village official website http://aksarbenvillage.com/ and found this site plan for
Aksarben Square in the Public Spaces section.

PDF version
http://aksarbenvillage.com/pdfs/parkRendering.pdf

This is enlargement of the Aksarben Village Tower Rendering.

When the Aksarben Square Obelisk or is the Tower Construction is done, It would be a sight to see day or night.

I also saw the steel going up on the New Blue Cross and Blue Shield Building.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:00 pm

Great Stuff! Thanks for the info Steve!