Aksarben Village (67th & Center)

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:00 pm

What, you see the picture! All I see is a question mark in a blue square. :?

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:45 pm

Try this link:

http://twitpic.com/bn6pt

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:05 pm

Awww that's cute.
Omaha sure does seam to pull a crowd nowadays. That is a good sign civic pride is improving.

annad · Post by **annad** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:00 am

They showed Footloose this past weekend. A friend of mine took her family and said there was a pretty good turnout. I think next weekend is a concert and then on the 15th they're showing Goonies!

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:10 pm

now that would be fun to see! they do that here in council bluffs at bayliss park and it's an awesome thing for the community

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:54 am

Has anyone noticed that the Blue Cross Blue Shield building is only 6 floors right now... What happened to 10? Anyone know?

Post by **Brad** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:07 am

mcarch wrote:Has anyone noticed that the Blue Cross Blue Shield building is only 6 floors right now... What happened to 10? Anyone know?

If you look at picture 11 above, there are extensions above the 6th floor to add more steel.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:58 pm

I've been wondering that myself. It seems like it's been sitting at that same height for weeks, without much other visible progress.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:06 pm

They were building 2 more cranes down there today.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:02 am

Since I work in STC I see this building almost everyday from the parking lot. There has been a lot of progress and definitely hasnt been slowing down. It seems they built the first 3 floors very quickly and then the next 3 floors very quickly. They have been doing a lot of work on the base floors and I am sure the next floors will be constructed on top.

ItsAllAboutMe · Post by **ItsAllAboutMe** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:11 am

I am sure the next floors will be constructed on top.

That is where I hope they put them.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:46 pm

They should have built it from the top down to help prevent paranoid speculation that it may end up being shorter than planned.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:25 am

Well now I know you cant see downtown from the 6th floor of the new BCBS building. Still a good view though.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:42 pm

Do you work security or something? How did you get those pictures?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:08 pm

I'm guessing he just walked up there and was dumb enough to post them on here.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:26 pm

No need to get your knickers in a bunch, several vertical beams have been added today that reach another 4 floors upwards.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:15 pm

Yay! Did you notice if the other cranes were erected yet?

Post by **Brad** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:40 pm

Id did not see it last night. But was dark when I was shooting.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:02 am

I was riding the Keystone Trail today and got a close up view.

The new steel additions give an excellent peek of what the building will look like at its final height; VERY impressive, especially in that neck of the woods. What a gorgeous location for it too. Employees will be able to look out their offices at the creek, mature trees, parkland, etc. and they could very easily bike to work.

As we were in the Aksarben Village area, probably around 7:45 or so, the crane was being hoisted into place. It's not a "T" shaped tower crane. It's one that rises at an angle (I don't know the technical terms).

As a side note, my girlfriend (a graphic designer/artist) and I both commented at how tacky and crappy the obelisk looks. I don't feel like going into everything that's wrong with it, but take a look the next time you're in the area at night. It's a disaster. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the park is fantastic!

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:50 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
As a side note, my girlfriend (a graphic designer/artist) and I both commented at how tacky and crappy the obelisk looks. I don't feel like going into everything that's wrong with it, but take a look the next time you're in the area at night. It's a disaster. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the park is fantastic!

i'm glad that someone agrees with me.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:12 pm

Those obelisk things must be trendy because I just saw one at a newly constructed mall in metro Denver.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:53 pm

I agree on the obelisk, it somehow looks dated already or something.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:57 pm

Just imagine what could have been if they had held a competition, open to all Omaha artists. Gee, they could have even picked more than one and had a, a, a sculpture garden.

Naaaah....let's just buy some junk thing at Wal Mart.

It looks like they felt that they had to do something but didn't want to spend much on it.

Come on Omaha....just once exceed expectations.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:06 pm

I thought it represented one of those posts in the corners of a race track?

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:53 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote:Just imagine what could have been if they had held a competition, open to all Omaha artists. Gee, they could have even picked more than one and had a, a, a sculpture garden.

Naaaah....let's just buy some junk thing at Wal Mart.

It looks like they felt that they had to do something but didn't want to spend much on it.

Come on Omaha....just once exceed expectations.

But the thing is, they obviously spent a great DEAL of money on it, and it looks TERRIBLE.

I TOTALLY agree, though, about opening it up to local artists. That would have been great. An actual work of art. Now we have an ugly behemoth in the midst of an amazing development and a beautiful park.

Ingersoll1978 · Post by **Ingersoll1978** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:19 am

I'd have to agree with the sentiment on the obelisk. It looks generic.

This is a picture of a the Prairie Tower in Urbandale. It rises 120 ft. tall in the Paragon Office Park off of I-80/35 in the NW suburbs of Des Moines. What's wierd is that this office park is very generic and so far has attracted uninspiring architecture, but the focus piece is quite cool. You can see it for miles in any direction.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/324 ... a6e0b8.jpg

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:01 pm

Yeah, see I love that.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:02 pm

Funny thing is that RDG in OMAHA designed that...

Ingersoll1978 · Post by **Ingersoll1978** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:33 pm

Brad wrote:Funny thing is that RDG in OMAHA designed that...

David Dalquist of RDG's Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines designed it.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:38 pm

Ingersoll1978 wrote:
Brad wrote:Funny thing is that RDG in OMAHA designed that...
David Dalquist of RDG's Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines designed it.

Interesting.. I did not know they had an office over there.

Ingersoll1978 · Post by **Ingersoll1978** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:04 pm

They have two offices in downtown Des Moines. They have the art studio and a main office at 301 Grand Avenue (they converted an old car dealership/warehouse a few years ago). They employ 128 people in their Des Moines offices according to the 2009 Des Moines Business Record's Book of Lists.

http://www.rdgusa.com/contact/contact.html

Post by **Brad** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:09 pm

No one has yet to answer this question. Is Omaha Tower meant to represent a Horse Racing item, I want to say a Corner Post?

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 4:10 am

I really don't think so.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:07 am

I hope the person(s) who designed that totem never reads this thread. j/k

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:14 am

I'm not a fan of either one. At least the Omaha version hasn't yet made it onto Kunstlers 'eyesore of the month' yet

http://kunstler.com/eyesore_200803.html

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:59 pm

Come on Omaha....just once exceed expectations.

Is this coming from the same guy who said commercial developers had no responsibility to the community when it came to things like landscaping and common areas?

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:21 pm

Stargazer wrote:
Come on Omaha....just once exceed expectations.
Is this coming from the same guy who said commercial developers had no responsibility to the community when it came to things like landscaping and common areas?

Yep, Jeff. That's me. Landscaping and common areas, unless proscribed by the city are not a "responsibility, as shown around the city. There are only two ways to get upgraded amenities. 1) If the developer wants premium rents, and that's a big if. 2) IF the developer has a big ego and wants to make a statement.

Otherwise you get the barest of necessities.

Of course that's just my opinion and I could be wrong.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:32 pm

I don't feel like going into everything that's wrong with it, but take a look the next time you're in the area at night. It's a disaster.

I took a good look tonight and was totally confused by the lighting. The letters and panels are lit from behind, but it seems there is no rhyme or reason on the color choice. Some panels/letters are blue, some are red, and some are in between. It looks awful.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:32 pm

omahastylee459 wrote:
I don't feel like going into everything that's wrong with it, but take a look the next time you're in the area at night. It's a disaster.
I took a good look tonight and was totally confused by the lighting. The letters and panels are lit from behind, but it seems there is no rhyme or reason on the color choice. Some panels/letters are blue, some are red, and some are in between. It looks awful.

EXACTLY. That's definitely one of the things we noticed, and we were like w-t-f? The colors are all over the place with no rhyme or reason, the font is too small (and just a bad font all together), and with the way the letters are backlit, it just makes them all fuzzy and indiscernible. The thing is a disaster.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:03 pm

I went out and saw this thing tonight and I....was not very disappointed

I had three issues with it: the lights are too dim, the color combinations of the lights didn't make sense as others have noted, and it was rather simple looking, but other than that, it was about what I expected. Not too shabby.

A fourth issue I had, which dealing with the park itself, is why do the lighted squares along the perimeter just fade between dark and light blue?