Juvenile Justice Center at 18th and Harney - 8 stories

[GetUrban]

https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-new ... ansparency

Tuesday morning a handful of people used the public comment portion of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners Meeting to talk about the subject. They want the board to be more open with the specifics of the proposed $120 million project that would be located between 18th and 19th Streets and between Howard and Harney Streets. It would house the youth center and juvenile court proceedings.

Smith organized a meeting on Monday evening to gather input and more than 50 people showed up including Commissioner Jim Cavanaugh.

This page has a letter to the commissioners from Smith and a list of points raised at the meeting: https://sites.google.com/view/omaha-pub ... 147a237140

Side note: There are some great pics of the old Woodmen of the World Building embedded in the linked slides. Too bad Omaha threw away that building, along with many others well worth saving. We need to add to what we already have, rather than throw it away and replace it with things of less value. That is how cities grow. Just think of all the talented effort and skill that went into the WOW building only to be destroyed too soon.

[Omaha Cowboy]

From the W-H story covering the Thursday (August 2nd) public meeting that attracted 50 or so people:

“Tyler Wilson, who said he works in corrections, drew applause when he called for a public vote on issuing bonds for the project. Under the current proposal, the Douglas-Omaha Public Building Commission would issue up to $120 million in bonds, and the debt would be repaid by county taxpayers. That would likely require a property tax increase. The Building Commission can vote to issue bonds without going to the voters.

“Why do we as taxpayers not get to vote yes or no?” Wilson said. “Let’s get a vote, yes or no.”

Cavanaugh, who has also backed putting the bonds to a vote, joined in the applause that followed.”..

The complete story link-

https://www.omaha.com/news/courts/let-s ... 3c7c7.html

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[GrandpaaSmucker]

“Why do we as taxpayers not get to vote yes or no?” Wilson said.

Of course Mr Wilson and all of us know the only true answer is that once the schemers and wheeler dealers and the politicians got by with ramming that semi-useless Baseball Stadium down our throats the rules of the game had been changed. The new rules now are there are going to be little if any votes ever put to the public on these multi-million dollars projects. They don't care what the public wants and its not about the public its about them making millions of dollars.

[PotatoeEatsFish]

I love how big of a mess this whole thing is

[ricko]

https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-new ... ansparency

Tuesday morning a handful of people used the public comment portion of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners Meeting to talk about the subject. They want the board to be more open with the specifics of the proposed $120 million project that would be located between 18th and 19th Streets and between Howard and Harney Streets. It would house the youth center and juvenile court proceedings.

Smith organized a meeting on Monday evening to gather input and more than 50 people showed up including Commissioner Jim Cavanaugh.

This page has a letter to the commissioners from Smith and a list of points raised at the meeting: https://sites.google.com/view/omaha-pub ... 147a237140

Side note: There are some great pics of the old Woodmen of the World Building embedded in the linked slides. Too bad Omaha threw away that building, along with many others well worth saving. We need to add to what we already have, rather than throw it away and replace it with things of less value. That is how cities grow. Just think of all the talented effort and skill that went into the WOW building only to be destroyed too soon.

I was told that when it was built, the old Woodman building was the tallest building between Chicago and San Francisco.

[iamjacobm]

Landmark Commission voted to back a historic designation for the building in question. Obviously that designation hasn't stopped demo in the past.

[MTO]

I hope not, history shouldn’t stand in the way of progress.

[Omaha Cowboy]

I hope not, history shouldn’t stand in the way of progress.

Well, Jake, there may be glimmer of hope for your stand up career ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[nativeomahan]

I hope not, history shouldn’t stand in the way of progress.

W T F?

[nativeomahan]

“Why do we as taxpayers not get to vote yes or no?” Wilson said. “Let’s get a vote, yes or no.”

Well, we elect our leaders to lead. Not to be scared of their shadows. If we do not like the substance of their leadership, we vote them out.

It is incontrovertible that the courthouse is out of space. Has been for decades. The time for patchwork “fixes” is over. That has been the problem with past government leaders. They have been kicking the can down the alley. There is no more alley. It is time to bite the bullet and build a new justice center. The courthouse is over 100 years old. Douglas County’s population in 1900 is but a sliver of its population today. The county board needs to “think big”. Not just for 2020, but for 2040.
That said, there is no good reason in my mind to destroy a perfectly good and historic building, when other options exist. Far too much of our history has been sacrificed in the name of “progress”.
Just yesterday the government leaders in my adoptive home city voted to block any large new building construction in the core of the city, in order to preserve its historic significance. Condo developers had been eyeing several choice properties for large (well, 6-8 story) buildings. Now this won’t happen. Virtually 100% of the citizenry supported this move.

[GetUrban]

I hope not, history shouldn’t stand in the way of progress.

Unless the “progress” is backwards.

[Omaha Cowboy]

“Why do we as taxpayers not get to vote yes or no?” Wilson said. “Let’s get a vote, yes or no.”

Well, we elect our leaders to lead. Not to be scared of their shadows. If we do not like the substance of their leadership, we vote them out.

It is incontrovertible that the courthouse is out of space. Has been for decades. The time for patchwork “fixes” is over. That has been the problem with past government leaders. They have been kicking the can down the alley. There is no more alley.

Just yesterday the government leaders in my adoptive home city voted to block any large new building construction in the core of the city, in order to preserve its historic significance. Condo developers had been eyeing several choice properties for large (well, 6-8 story) buildings. Now this won’t happen. Virtually 100% of the citizenry supported this move.

I agree with all three of your points here.

#1) The problem is, once they get elected, rarely, if ever, do politicians lead. They compromise..and their integrity and ethics are usually the first things to go..

#2) Yes. The days of Kicking the can down the road, as it relates to this specific issue, need to be over. A new Justice Center is needed and must be built at some point soon..

#3) That’s fantastic. Yes, Omaha needs a new facility, but not at the expense of destroying our historic buildings. Omaha has been notorious, since the 70’s, for bulldozing it’s architecture.. and it’s been shameful.. Especially the bulldozing of Jobbers Canyon. It’s great to read what city leaders in your adopted home city are doing to protect and preserve their landmarks. Here in the states and in Omaha specifically, we need to take proper note and do the same...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[daveoma]

“Why do we as taxpayers not get to vote yes or no?” Wilson said. “Let’s get a vote, yes or no.”

Well, we elect our leaders to lead. Not to be scared of their shadows. If we do not like the substance of their leadership, we vote them out.

It is incontrovertible that the courthouse is out of space. Has been for decades. The time for patchwork “fixes” is over. That has been the problem with past government leaders. They have been kicking the can down the alley. There is no more alley. It is time to bite the bullet and build a new justice center. The courthouse is over 100 years old. Douglas County’s population in 1900 is but a sliver of its population today. The county board needs to “think big”. Not just for 2020, but for 2040.
That said, there is no good reason in my mind to destroy a perfectly good and historic building, when other options exist. Far too much of our history has been sacrificed in the name of “progress”.
Just yesterday the government leaders in my adoptive home city voted to block any large new building construction in the core of the city, in order to preserve its historic significance. Condo developers had been eyeing several choice properties for large (well, 6-8 story) buildings. Now this won’t happen. Virtually 100% of the citizenry supported this move.

Here here!

[iamjacobm]

https://www.omaha.com/money/in-a-clash- ... 45cd4.html

The other plan is an alternative proposal from County Board member Jim Cavanaugh. He proposes erecting a smaller building, perhaps six to eight stories tall, for juvenile courts and related offices and services, with room for expansion. He has said that could be built on property the county already owns: the Omaha Housing Authority headquarters and an adjacent county-owned building.

Under Cavanaugh’s proposal, the county would acquire an existing office building near the courthouse and renovate it into space for the offices of the county attorney and public defender. Or county administrative employees could be moved to such a building, creating space within the City-County Building for the lawyers.

Cavanaugh would renovate the current Douglas County Youth Center, 1301 S. 41st St., rather than build a new one. He wouldn’t build a parking garage. He said his plan might cost as little as half as much as the current proposal.

Feels like a much more reasonable plan to take some stress off the courthouse. Building a new juvenile detention center with less beds than the daily average makes absolutely no sense.

[iamjacobm]

https://www.omaha.com/news/metro/downto ... 95329.html

Board member Mike Boyle announced during a raucous County Board meeting Tuesday that he changed his mind and is now against building a new juvenile detention center downtown. He said he also now opposes using eminent domain to acquire a building on the proposed site, southwest of 18th and Harney Streets.

Boyle said he still supports the larger part of the proposed $120 million project, a courthouse annex that would include space for Douglas County Juvenile Court and Douglas County attorneys and public defenders.

Boyle is on the five-member Omaha-Douglas Public Building Commission and the Douglas County Board, two public bodies whose approval would be needed for the project to go forward. He had been an outspoken advocate for the proposal but said Tuesday that critics of the detention center proposal had convinced him that the proposed 64-bed center would be too small and would hamper downtown redevelopment.

Douglas County Youth Center Director Brad Alexander said during Tuesday’s meeting that he is concerned that the proposed new youth center would be too small. It is proposed to be built with space for 48 youths, with room to expand to 64. An average of 82 youths are housed in the current youth center, off 42nd Street.

[Doctor Fate]

New proposal calls for a 12 story tower and a renovation of existing juvenile detention center to make it more like a high school.

https://www.omaha.com/news/metro/county ... 6d65e.html

[nativeomahan]

I like this proposal much better. I hope that it wins sufficient votes to be selected as the courthouse addition.

[tpaine]

I like this proposal much better. I hope that it wins sufficient votes to be selected as the courthouse addition.

I agree. I just called the Douglas County Commissioners hotline at 402-444-7025 to voice my support for Jim Cavanaugh's proposal to renovate the existing Douglas County juvenile detention center on 42nd street instead of tearing down the historic building at 18th and Howard. Cavanaugh's plan appears much more practical, economical and better for downtown. I'm also concerned that if they build another detention center downtown it will destroy current plans to rejuvenate the Flatiron District and further hinder development. I encourage like minded people to call the Douglas County Commissioners office and voice their support for Jim Cavanaugh's proposal.

[iamjacobm]

Planning Board considering historic designation for the Army Corps building.

[iamjacobm]

Forgot to post this picture I grabbed of a rendering in the window of the building to potentially be torn down.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Forgot to post this picture I grabbed of a rendering in the window of the building to potentially be torn down.

Excellent find.. Thanks for sharing ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[Omaha Cowboy]

I like this proposal much better. I hope that it wins sufficient votes to be selected as the courthouse addition.

I agree completely regarding the 12 story proposal (and not because it’s 2 stories taller, lol) ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[GetUrban]

It's hard to believe there hasn't been more discussion about the wisdom of abandoning the existing DCYC at 42nd St. It just opened around 1999 after spending 10s of millions of dollars to build it! Remodeling it to work with the newer detention methods makes much more sense. It seems like they're over-emphasizing the importance of convenience in transporting youths to and from court. Moving the youths downtown seems to be more for the convenience of the Judges, rather than having them travel out to new courtrooms closer to the youths.

The rendering or Perrin's building with a residential addition added shows what's possible down the road for redevelopment in the area. But they have to save the dam building first. Still need two more DC commissioners to flip. Thank you Cavanaugh and Boyle for trying.

[obvious2677]

It's hard to believe there hasn't been more discussion about the wisdom of abandoning the existing DCYC at 42nd St. It just opened around 1999 after spending 10s of millions of dollars to build it! Remodeling it to work with the newer detention methods makes much more sense. It seems like they're over-emphasizing the importance of convenience in transporting youths to and from court. Moving the youths downtown seems to be more for the convenience of the Judges, rather than having them travel out to new courtrooms closer to the youths.

The rendering or Perrin's building with a residential addition added shows what's possible down the road for redevelopment in the area. But they have to save the dam building first. Still need two more DC commissioners to flip. Thank you Cavanaugh and Boyle for trying.

Personal and mean spirited comment ahead...

Chris Rodgers is one of the least intelligent people I've ever met.

[guy4omaha]

I like this proposal much better. I hope that it wins sufficient votes to be selected as the courthouse addition.

I agree completely regarding the 12 story proposal (and not because it’s 2 stories taller, lol) ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

I also like this revised proposal better. And being two stories taller doesn't hurt either.

[RNcyanide]

It's hard to believe there hasn't been more discussion about the wisdom of abandoning the existing DCYC at 42nd St. It just opened around 1999 after spending 10s of millions of dollars to build it! Remodeling it to work with the newer detention methods makes much more sense. It seems like they're over-emphasizing the importance of convenience in transporting youths to and from court. Moving the youths downtown seems to be more for the convenience of the Judges, rather than having them travel out to new courtrooms closer to the youths.

The rendering or Perrin's building with a residential addition added shows what's possible down the road for redevelopment in the area. But they have to save the dam building first. Still need two more DC commissioners to flip. Thank you Cavanaugh and Boyle for trying.

Personal and mean spirited comment ahead...

Chris Rodgers is one of the least intelligent people I've ever met.

How so?

[obvious2677]

It's hard to believe there hasn't been more discussion about the wisdom of abandoning the existing DCYC at 42nd St. It just opened around 1999 after spending 10s of millions of dollars to build it! Remodeling it to work with the newer detention methods makes much more sense. It seems like they're over-emphasizing the importance of convenience in transporting youths to and from court. Moving the youths downtown seems to be more for the convenience of the Judges, rather than having them travel out to new courtrooms closer to the youths.

The rendering or Perrin's building with a residential addition added shows what's possible down the road for redevelopment in the area. But they have to save the dam building first. Still need two more DC commissioners to flip. Thank you Cavanaugh and Boyle for trying.

Personal and mean spirited comment ahead...

Chris Rodgers is one of the least intelligent people I've ever met.

How so?

Without getting into details - worked at FNBO when he was part of the executive development program. Let's just say there are likely reasons that FNBO is not listed on his LinkedIn page and he did not develop into an executive at the company.

[skinzfan23]

The question I have, does the new proposal include demolishing the building just north of Perrin's? That seems like it is a historical building as well. Actually it looks like the building to the north was built in 1921, just one year later.

[bigredmed1]

I dont have any awareness of the people involved. It does seem to me to be putting an end to development in that direction. I would not want to buy a condo next to the jail. I would rather buy one in a part of the city that will have services and restaurants, etc after 2pm M-F. Having lived downtown before the boom, I can tell you that it becomes very inconvenient if these are not open after normal hours or on the weekends. I don't see a lot of hip new cool restaurants and shops by our current jail. I think that the Flatiron is going to be about as far SW as the "downtown redevelopment" gets.

[GetUrban]

The question I have, does the new proposal include demolishing the building just north of Perrin's? That seems like it is a historical building as well. Actually it looks like the building to the north was built in 1921, just one year later.

Douglas County already owns the two buildings just north of Perrin's building. Those are toast even if Perrin is allowed to keep owning his building, most likely. Those were sold to the county by PJ Moragn's realty company, who is also a county commissioner, coincidentally. when they tear down the two buildings north of Perrin's, the north face will be plain brick, since it was designed to butt into the adjacent building.

[skinzfan23]

The question I have, does the new proposal include demolishing the building just north of Perrin's? That seems like it is a historical building as well. Actually it looks like the building to the north was built in 1921, just one year later.

Douglas County already owns the two buildings just north of Perrin's building. Those are toast even if Perrin is allowed to keep owning his building, most likely. Those were sold to the county by PJ Moragn's realty company, who is also a county commissioner, coincidentally. when they tear down the two buildings north of Perrin's, the north face will be plain brick, since it was designed to butt into the adjacent building.

Thanks for the info. That is a shame, both buildings are near or more than 100 years old. Unfortunately the building on the north side of the block has been altered so much it looks nothing like its original form.

[Mapguy]

I think it would be a mistake to destroy any of these buildings. Theres so much surface parking to the south. There is no reason any building would have to be taken in eminent domain when you have entire blocks of surface parking so close.

[Erik]

This is just plain nonsense

[Coyote]

Apparently the Planning Board was given a 30 minute presentation of what this building could look like if given a chance for renovation which received a standing applause. The board then voted 7-0 for the "Approval of a Local Landmark Designation - Automobile Sales Building & Army Corps Laboratory (ASB)"

[Louie]

Apparently the Planning Board was given a 30 minute presentation of what this building could look like if given a chance for renovation which received a standing applause. The board then voted 7-0 for the "Approval of a Local Landmark Designation - Automobile Sales Building & Army Corps Laboratory (ASB)"

Were they given the same picture as the one that iamjacobm posted above? If so, that’s dope.

[Hawkeye]

Okay, so maybe Ol' Hawkeye is easily lost in conversation...but does the current proposal include both the new 12 story building and the renovated ASB structure?

Or have we now moved on to where we are talking only about renovating and adding onto the existing historical ASB property?

[iamjacobm]

The proposal still before the County is using eminent domain and demoing everything on the block(except for the old library building which would be the Housing Authority). Two board members are opposed to the project in its current state and want to go forward without using eminent domain and just build the courthouse annex and parking garage. They propose rehabbing the juvenile detention center where it currently is.

They votes are not on their side so it still seems likely that the original plan(with maybe some tweeks for the neighborhood) will be what happens.

[Hawkeye]

The proposal still before the County is using eminent domain and demoing everything on the block(except for the old library building which would be the Housing Authority). Two board members are opposed to the project in its current state and want to go forward without using eminent domain and just build the courthouse annex and parking garage. They propose rehabbing the juvenile detention center where it currently is.

They votes are not on their side so it still seems likely that the original plan(with maybe some tweeks for the neighborhood) will be what happens.

Thanks for the info, and please know that I'm not intentionally trying to be obtuse. By "new plan" I meant the Cavanaugh proposal which references a brand spankin' new 12-story building at 18th and Harney. But then, a few posts later there is reference to renovation and adding onto the existing historic structure.

So I guess my question was if the fancy new 12-story building was still in the picture at all, or if now the alternative to the original 10-story proposal is focused solely on saving and renovating the ASB property.

[aaaron]

The proposal to renovate the ASB is from the owner of the building and is being advocated by those who wish to preserve the building. This proposal is completely unrelated to the board's plans for the block. It appears to be an effort to prove that there are active efforts to rehab the building, and that it's not just occupying space. My impression is that the county board couldn't care less about the building regardless of whether it will or will not be developed further and would like to get on with acquiring and demolishing it.

[iamjacobm]

Terracon on site taking some soil samples today.