It's almost a running gag now! The Holland Center will really be spectacular. I hope they don't run advertisements inside. The last time I was at the Lied Center in Lincoln (for Riverdance) they were shining the "Alltel" and "Union Bank" logos on the walls via projector. While it was shut off during the performance, it was very tacky, IMO.
jhuston wrote:2,000 seats is plenty... I don't know what symphony concerts anyone else has been going to... but I rarely see the Orpheum filled to capacity at the events I've regularly attended.
I can see where this might be true because admitedly I've pretty much only gone when they had certain guest performers that I wanted to see. Am I to assume a regular symphony performance typically doesn't fill the Orpheum?
The MasterWorks series average like 1,000 people. Handel's Messiah I went to the other night drew about 1,500. The 'Holiday Fanfare' event which is probably the most heavily marketed event the symphony participates in... drew 1,700 last Friday. 2,000 seats will be more than enough for the foreseeable future.
More significant... is the fact that Omaha may very well eventually see a Broadway event at the Orpheum on the same night as a symphony event at the Holland Center.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Yeah I was coming back into Omaha today and saw it and thought the worst. I spoke to a man on site from Kiewit and he said its not bad though, no structural damage, just some glass and framing for it and a few of the stone pieces on the side will need to be replaced. He said it coulda been real bad but we all got lucky. Heres a pic I snapped from Park 8.
and more hail tonight - another large storm on the way - a highway out west was closed down because of all the hail.
Also - newly elected councilman Suttle had a tree land on his house from last night.
Rick Ruggles WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:A 21-year-old driver early Saturday caused two accidents, then veered into the southwest corner of the Holland Performing Arts Center, where his vehicle crashed through glass and came to rest against a stairwell.
Omaha Performing Arts has bought most of a downtown block for $1,825,000 to lock down future parking for the Holland Performing Arts Center.
That’s $8,600 per parking space, based on the 212 spots shown on the property’s records, Douglas County Assessor Roger Morrissey said. The lot, just northeast of the Holland Center, is bounded by Capitol Avenue and 11th, 12th and Dodge Streets.
The lot provides monthly surface parking on weekdays. Evenings and weekends, it’s open for valet and paid parking for events at the Holland and other downtown venues.
Performing Arts bought 1.4 acres of the lot. Two other parcels, totaling about three-tenths of an acre, are owned by the City of Omaha.
The property will be used for parking at least for the foreseeable future, she said, and there are no other plans in the works. “You never rule things out, but the No. 1 priority is to make sure, long-term, that there’s parking. One step at a time.”
Lets hope that they have bigger plans for the site in the future. Hopefully a parking garage with ground floor retail. Once the Shamrock development is completed, if this is still just a plain parking lot, it will look horrible.
I still wonder if they ever plan on doing anything to the grass lot to the east of the Holland. It looks nicely mowed all the time, but they could at least put a few benches in to make it look similar to the park used to on the Gavilon lot.
I would love brads long standing idea of a pedestrian bridge over GLM at 11th. Then you could have a well manicured path way right through that grass section ending right into the entrance for the plaza at the Capitol District.
As for the land itself the comments in the article make it sound like that spot will be parking for a long time.
Omaha Performing Arts has bought most of a downtown block for $1,825,000 to lock down future parking for the Holland Performing Arts Center.
That’s $8,600 per parking space, based on the 212 spots shown on the property’s records, Douglas County Assessor Roger Morrissey said. The lot, just northeast of the Holland Center, is bounded by Capitol Avenue and 11th, 12th and Dodge Streets.
The lot provides monthly surface parking on weekdays. Evenings and weekends, it’s open for valet and paid parking for events at the Holland and other downtown venues.
Performing Arts bought 1.4 acres of the lot. Two other parcels, totaling about three-tenths of an acre, are owned by the City of Omaha.
The property will be used for parking at least for the foreseeable future, she said, and there are no other plans in the works. “You never rule things out, but the No. 1 priority is to make sure, long-term, that there’s parking. One step at a time.”
I didn't understand it when I lived there and now more than ever it's silly that parking MUST be available within 100 steps of an event in Omaha. One, there is a parking garage across the street to the north of the Holland. Two, there is a mountain of parking within easy walking distance of the Holland. Three, in pretty much any large city one must walk a bit to an event. We've been to a ton of events here in Detroit (YES, even downtown) and most of the time we've had to walk a few blocks from the car. AND YES, sometimes it's at night AND with the kids. Never had a problem.
It's a shame there isn't some sort of ban that could be imposed on expansive surface parking in downtown, especially on whole blocks in such a prime area ripe for redevelopment. There seems to be a certain fear factor toward parking garages, especially amongst the type of people who frequent events at the Holland. Of course, the Clink & Ameritrade Ballpark also have the large seas of parking surrounding them.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings" ...and then they were gone.
It's been a parking lot for how long and now it's time to b!+ch about it?! With this being such "prime area for redevelopment" and the property going through bankruptcy, I'm shocked that it wasnt snapped up by someone else, to built a 40 story tower and link the Shamrock, Lanoha, and Civic property all together! And how is this a "failed development practice"?
Relax, give it some time. It's new owner is a big part of Omaha and will at least maintain the site. I would think the LAST thing anyone would want to see built on it is another parking garage (even with ground retail space). Then it would be nothing more than that for the next 30+ years. As a surface lot, when the time comes that the area IS READY for redevelopment, the options will be much greater.
MSizlack wrote:It's been a parking lot for how long and now it's time to b!+ch about it?! With this being such "prime area for redevelopment" and the property going through bankruptcy, I'm shocked that it wasnt snapped up by someone else, to built a 40 story tower and link the Shamrock, Lanoha, and Civic property all together! And how is this a "failed development practice"?
Relax, give it some time. It's new owner is a big part of Omaha and will at least maintain the site. I would think the LAST thing anyone would want to see built on it is another parking garage (even with ground retail space). Then it would be nothing more than that for the next 30+ years. As a surface lot, when the time comes that the area IS READY for redevelopment, the options will be much greater.
In the article one of the quotes was:
“We wanted to ensure that the patrons have convenient access to parking for the time being,” she said. It was important to acquire the property now because other developments are being planned along Capitol that may increase demand for undeveloped property.
They purchased the property with the active thought of getting control of the land so another investor wouldn't. I understand they want parking and good for them for beating anyone else to the punch. It still doesn't change that this lot's destiny has been decided for probably at least a decade now.
Development takes time, and it's driven by demand. It's been 10 years since the proposed Wall Street Tower and 7+ since they knocked down the old UP building. Nobodys charged in to build on it...and it will probably be another 3 yrs before anything happens there. It will be 4 yrs before the civic property is done, it will be at least 5+ yrs before Shamrock is done...best case senerio for each.
The demand is not there for this lot to be something more. Whether Holland owns it or someone else, this lots destiny is to be a parking lot until there is demand. In the mean time, controlling the property and using it for what the Holland Center needs is good for Omaha because when there becomes demand for it, unlike MECA, they will work with a developer.
I'll stick with my initial assessment that this is a disappointment. The OWH story does not bring up the question of whether the parking garage north of the Holland has enough parking spaces to meet the needs of patrons, or that they simply prefer surface lot parking. I would be even more disappointed if they built another garage, even with 1st floor retail. Another reason they bought the lot was for the income daytime monthly contract parking will provide, I would bet. I agree at least a surface lot could more easily be developed in the future though.
Omaha has lost so much building density, compared to what we had before they started tearing so many things down in the 1960s.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings" ...and then they were gone.
Well I didn't mean that the hope is only for a parking garage with ground level retail. Hopefully it could be so much more, I just figured that parking would have to a major part of it since that is the main reason they decided to purchase it. Maybe it could have ground level retail, parking above that and then residential above that, similar to the new building in Lincoln.
I wasn't trying to single you out. I agree any future development should have garage parking, along with mixed uses above, such as office and residential and hopefully street level retail too. Just don't want any more full-block parking garages serving a few scattered venues downtown, with nothing else going on.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings" ...and then they were gone.
I guess I kind of see this as a non-issue. Better to have local ownership from a cultural institution than an out-of-town bankrupt real estate company. Not sure if this was ever going to be anything BUT a parking lot, short-term.....
Coming Monday: Downtown Omaha's newest rooftop bar
Rooftop lounge Skyview Terrace open Mon-thurs until at least sept 27. Indoor/outdoor space. Acces thru west side lobby doors. Views to Leahy, river and west skyline
Also opening Capstan Lounge on 1st tier. Open an hr before performances.
