Walmart Supercenter (72 & Hickory - Ranch Bowl)

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:59 pm

Ranch Bowl closing; Wal-Mart may build

The Ranch Bowl Entertainment Center is closing, and Wal-Mart said Thursday it is considering building a store at the 72nd Street site.

Ranch Bowl President Mike Brannan said the site is being redeveloped, but he declined to give details. Brannan said he will relocate his music venue.

Wal-Mart community affairs manager Ryan Horn of Bentonville, Ark, said the high-traffic area would make the site at 1606 S. 72nd St. a successful location for a store.

He said the design for a store in that spot would be unique.

"This won't look like the old-school, drop-the-box-in-the-middle-of-a-field Wal-Mart," he said. "We won't be fitting that kind of a thing in there, if we get to that point."

No Wal-Mart stores in Omaha exist east of 72nd Street.

Another discount retailer, Target, is relocating to the 72nd Street corridor. The company said this week that it will close its store at 360 N. Saddle Creek Road, demolish the former Younkers space at Crossroads Mall and build a 116,000-square-foot Target store.

The new store is scheduled to open in the summer of 2006.

Brannan said he plans to open a music venue twice as large as the Ranch Bowl's 400-capacity music hall. He declined to give a location.

He said he has options on numerous properties, some with existing buildings and others where he would build a venue. He said the new venue would not retain the Ranch Bowl name.

Brannan said that plans have been in the works for about a year and a half but that he didn't have more details of when the new venue would open.

"The Ranch Bowl operations as they sit will cease to occupy the premise at some point," he said. "We haven't decided which day to call the last day. It will be sooner than later."

For more than 25 years, the Ranch Bowl has had a reputation as one of Omaha's leading music venues for local bands and emerging national acts.

The Ranch Bowl's Web site includes shows booked through June 11. Brannan said those shows will be moved if necessary.

When Brannan took over the Ranch Bowl in 2003 from longtime operator Matt Markel, he planned remodeling that included a music equipment store and expanded music venue. Brannan said Thursday that he abandoned those plans because the building was in too poor of shape.

"It would be better off to move to more dedicated spaces that were more streamlined and in line with what we wanted to do," Brannan said. "The building was a struggle, is a struggle."

Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom

skibum21 · Post by **skibum21** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:06 pm

A couple of weeks ago I heard that Wal-mart was going to build a "neighborhood" market store there. I didn't think it would really happen, but I guess it looks like its a go. Mainly, because I didn't believe the Ranch Bowl would close.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:16 pm

April Fools was six days ago. Is this for real?

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:18 pm

Well, it sounds like the owner has legitimate plans to make it into a quality venue. Hopefully he won't relocate it (under whatever name) in the burbs. It'd be a great thing in North Downtown though. Wal-Mart doesn't need to build there

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:24 pm

The Music Box now Ranch Bowl. God help me if Sokol Closes.
And yeah, I will be vandalizing, if Wal*Mart builds there!

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:29 pm

WE MUST STOP THE WAL*MART! IT IS EVIL! IT WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:37 pm

Wouldn't it be great if the Ranch Bowl and Saddle Creek Records collaborated on a site in North Downtown! Saddle Creek wanted to build a new entertainment/recording facility on Saddle Creek at NW Radial but gave in to strong opposition. May be the two could collaborate to bring a great venue to Omaha (music venue minus the bowling lanes)!

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:32 pm

FFFFUUUCCCKKKK!!!!!!

I think I'll be part of the "coalition" to not see a Walmart there how could they even fit one there. At the very least those of us concerned enough should let the Ranch Bowl owners know that we do not want them to move west. DT really needs a strong local music venue.

This double sucks. A Walmart? That's all we need to kill every retial center east of 72nd St. We should fight this tooth and nail and knife and tire iron.

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:37 pm

That's it. We're all destined to become Walmart zombies running amuck with our guts showin, leaning over our pintos(on blocks in the driveway) working on the engines with our |expletive| cracks hangin out.

How many more are they going to build?

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:20 pm

We lose the music box, the saddle creek venue gets shot down, if sokol closes our famous music scene in omaha is gone, heck its gone the minute we lose the ranch bowl, what a shame. DARN U WAL MART!

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:35 pm

But they are re-building bigger and better. They are trying to improve Omaha's music scene. Yes it will be at the expense of a landmark, and a historical name, but this could end up being for the better. It seems like he has some good ideas in mind.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:35 pm

In that location it will be a hybrid Walgreen’s/Wal

Mart branded Mal

Mart. A unique Wal

Mart my butt.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:39 pm

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:But they are re-building bigger and better. They are trying to improve Omaha's music scene. Yes it will be at the expense of a landmark, and a historical name, but this could end up being for the better. It seems like he has some good ideas in mind.

haha missed that part of the article. My bad lol!

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:11 pm

I mean Yay for the Ranch Bowl but I don't think they should let a Walmart be built there. Especially on the site of a special spot that Walmart haters frequent. It's wierd.

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:31 pm

Wouldn't it be great if the Ranch Bowl and Saddle Creek Records collaborated on a site in North Downtown! May be the two could collaborate to bring a great venue to Omaha

That's a great idea. Do you mean sort of like a Virgin Records type place?

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:09 pm

I do think the Ranch Bowl was a dump. I hope they build a bigger and more functional venue for the music scene. Can't we attract something else to replace it though?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:19 pm

CBGB is a dump. It had character. I'm going to miss that place. I got to meet some famous people there. I got in a fight with a famous band there cuz I told them they sucked. I've met lots of cool freaky people there. It will be missed.

Hopefully

they will move DT or somewhere close. That'd be the best thing.

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:25 pm

DTO you gotta quit using those acronyms. I don't know what the heck you mean unless you put your acronym guide out here somewhere.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:49 pm

Acronyms? CBGB? That's the name of a club in NYC (New York City) where punk (American) supposedly originated and it's been a kind of revered spot in the music world. Some big big bands will play there occasionally and it's probably no bigger than Sokol or the Ranch Bowl and it looks like every gang in the world graffitied the inside but it's still famous. Like a Wembley or Madison Square Garden for the younger crowd.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:20 pm

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:26 pm

Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:49 pm

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) - In a closely watched vote, residents decided against capping the size of large retailers to 75,000 square feet - an attempt to halt an expansion of the local Wal-Mart store.

Residents in Bennington, Vt., defeated a measure that would have prevented the town's Wal-Mart from expanding.

"I want a bigger Wal-Mart," said Jessica Caron, 26, a mother of three and a clerk at the Mobil gas station next door to the existing store.

The bylaw, enacted in December, was expected to produce a closer vote Tuesday, but the cap was rejected 2,189 to 1,724.

The turnout was 40 percent of 9,650 registered voters - heavy for a special election.

Workers had distributed thousands of handbills urging residents to support the cap and stop Wal-Mart's plans to increase its store to 112,000 square feet.

The anti-cap campaign ran radio ads supporting its cause.

The victory for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. came after heavy advertising by Ohio-based real estate developer Redstone Investments.

"I'm very happy for the people of Bennington, Vermont," said Redstone partner Jonathan Levy. "They took on Town Hall and showed them what they thought about the whole thing."

The local Planning Commission and Select Board had unanimously supported the cap.

Opponents of a cap then collected more than 1,000 signatures to put the question to a townwide vote.

Alicia Romac of the pro-cap group Citizens for a Greater Bennington said she wished the decision had been left up to elected officials.

"It's special interests interfering with what's best for the community process, and I don't think that's really the best way to run a government," she said.

The political fight leading to the vote brought out many of the familiar arguments about large retailers, with some voicing fears a larger Wal-Mart would drive out downtown businesses. Others said those businesses needed competition.

Walmart Sucks

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:10 pm

The Ranch Bowl was a dump, but man did I see some great shows there!

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:01 am

who cares if it was a dump, that added to the atmosphere in my opinion

papiostud · Post by **papiostud** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:25 am

hmm this is sad news. What exactly is a neighborhood like Walmart? Do other cities have them? Pics anyone? I can't imagine it bein much different then ur regular Walmart. ugh they should just build condos and retail in that area. Enough with the boxes!

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:35 am

My aunt was talking about how pretty the Lincoln Walmart is (puke). Instead of blue it's green and brown instead of grey. Oooooh!

zedmib · Post by **zedmib** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:24 am

A WalMart next to Dr John's! I love it!

Actually if they wanted to build a WalMart super center on the Ranch Bowl site they would need to take everything from the south end of First Data to Woolworth ST. (North of the QT) and back to 74th ST. This would take out Dr Johns. (The whole idea?

). I always thought the Aksarben site would be ideal for a walmart but it has two strikes against it: it is in a flood zone, the Ranch Bowl is at the top of a hill, and its east of 72nd ST(CAN'T have THAT!

).

FatGuy · Post by **FatGuy** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:52 am

Finn - that Saddle Creek record thing in "North Downtown" might be more of a reality than you think. A friend of mine told me that Saddle Creek Records is moving just north east of the Morrison Soccerfield.

I asked him where he read this. He told me he didn't, he had heard it from a source. He would not tell me the source though. I guess he could have been messing with me.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:42 am

FatGuy wrote:Finn - that Saddle Creek record thing in "North Downtown" might be more of a reality than you think. A friend of mine told me that Saddle Creek Records is moving just north east of the Morrison Soccerfield.

I asked him where he read this. He told me he didn't, he had heard it from a source. He would not tell me the source though. I guess he could have been messing with me.

Yeah Saddle Creek has been looking at that area for a while. They were talking with a friend of mine about possibly opening a venue on I think Cuming Street a few years ago.

But yes, a saddle creek/ranch bowl venue in the Upper Market (doesn't that sound a lot better than North Downtown?) area is somewhat likely if you ask me.

zedmib · Post by **zedmib** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:05 am

If they put some 24-hour entertainment venues in that area we could call it NoDoz

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:26 am

Ranch Bowl closing bittersweet for fans
BY SOME OMAHA PAPER
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1458&u_sid=1380311

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:30 pm

^

I don't know that Saddle Creek and the Ranch Bowl will go together. They cater to differant musical tastes.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:29 pm

The Ranch Bowl catered to whatever act was coming to town!

POTUS · Post by **POTUS** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 1:03 pm

Here's a grand vision:

The Saddle Creek area is poised to be Omaha's 24/7 district. Now that the Target is moving, maybe the Ranch bowl can join up with Saddle Creek Records and build a co-op music venue there.

Our new Dave and Busters can relocate there too, splitting the cost of tearing down the old Target, putting in a 1000 car garage, and a 300,000+ sq foot venue.

Even better: Family Fun Center dumps their crappy old building and moves in across the street.

Fill it in with some bars and restaraunts, and wham! 24/7 comes to Omaha.

Add to this wish list: Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a new 10 screen theater, (the long sought after Cheesecake Factory), and Borders.

Ultimately I picture a Times Square kind of thing. Line some residential high rises along Saddle Creek. On December 31st, a ball-dropping thing just like Times Square. Clubs, Virgin Records Store, museums...

Whatever. Dream big, start small.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:15 pm

saddle creek itself would have to be completely revamped to hold that kind of traffic. At its current state, its 5 skinny lanes are not enough.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:20 pm

that doesn't matter, it will be a pedestrian oriented area!

Post by **Brad** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:40 am

Wal-Mart getting ready to rock

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=8316059

Omahans are a step closer to wheeling their shopping carts over the same ground where punks rocked and bowling balls rolled.

Plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter near 72nd and Pine Streets became official Friday and will be presented to city officials next week, a spokesman for the retailer said.

The 221,000-square-foot store would cover more than 20 acres, including the site occupied by the Ranch Bowl Entertainment Center. The Ranch Bowl, a longtime bowling alley and concert venue, ceased operations last spring.

Ryan Horn, an Omaha native who is Wal-Mart's community affairs manager in several Midlands states, said the store could open as early as next fall if the application process moves swiftly through the City Planning Board and City Council.

The plans call for the store to face north, with customer traffic entering only from 72nd Street. Delivery trucks would unload in the rear on an upper mezzanine level. Lifts would convey the products to the sales floor.

Other features include rooftop screening elements, an enhanced garden center with masonry pilasters and ornamental metal fencing and retaining walls to shield the view of the parking lot and the rear of the store.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 9:55 am

Wow... so they are going to shoe horn a super center in there. Didn't we originally think this was going to be one of their smaller grocery stores? Do we have more of these monsters than any other metro per capita yet?

I sure hope the planning people continue to raise the 'aesthetic' standards bar for Walmart.

papiostud · Post by **papiostud** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:11 pm

ugh not again! I hope it's stopped. I even heard the one in Papillion is havin some trouble?? If ya wanna know the truth about WalMart check these sites out...

http://www.walmartwatch.com/

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:18 pm

Yeah, why is this being approved?