Okay since Christmas is right around the corner I thought it would be fun to see what everyone’s Christmas wish list is for West Omaha or Omaha in general what do you want to see more of and less of?
Here’s mine I have a few.
1. More land preserves dedicated to recreation and biking and no businesses kind of like the prairie reserve on 168 blondo.
2. More independent family businesses in Omaha such as Godfathers just an example less chains.
3. Working on projects in struggling retail space. Crossroads, Oakview etc. (less digging up for so much retail and restaurants honestly we have beyond enough).
4. More community/youth centers.
5. Last but not least an area amusement park with just rides. I always thought near Werner Park that a small outdoor amusement park connected to a bunch of hotels would be a good idea maybe a 40-50 acre park. I heard fun plex is going mainly all Waterpark so maybe this would be a fun way to get a roller coaster back in Omaha.
Csmac wrote: Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:33 pm
Okay since Christmas is right around the corner I thought it would be fun to see what everyone’s Christmas wish list is for West Omaha or Omaha in general what do you want to see more of and less of?
Here’s mine I have a few.
1. More land preserves dedicated to recreation and biking and no businesses kind of like the prairie reserve on 168 blondo.
2. More independent family businesses in Omaha such as Godfathers just an example less chains.
3. Working on projects in struggling retail space. Crossroads, Oakview etc. (less digging up for so much retail and restaurants honestly we have beyond enough).
4. More community/youth centers.
5. Last but not least an area amusement park with just rides. I always thought near Werner Park that a small outdoor amusement park connected to a bunch of hotels would be a good idea maybe a 40-50 acre park. I heard fun plex is going mainly all Waterpark so maybe this would be a fun way to get a roller coaster back in Omaha.
Do I read this correct and you list Godfathers as an example of an Independent family business. At one time, yes but far from that today.
For the record NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER !!!!!!!
A wish list...beyond warmer weather. lol
1. A continuation and acceleration of the development of walkable entertainment districts accompanied by dense housing, so that infill neighborhoods can be active on a 24/7 basis.
2. Better, more reliable public transportation, so that residents who don’t live in one of these entertainment districts can easily and inexpensively access them without having to worry about getting behind the wheel of a car and hunting for parking, then risking having consumed too much alcohol to drive home.
3. Developers willing to build high rise (more than 15 stories tall) housing, like almost every other city our size on the planet.
4. City fathers and mothers working to encourage and celebrate diversity in the citizenry. People need to feel welcomed and appreciated living in or visiting Omaha, regardless of their ethnic, religious, sexual or economic backgrounds. Some progress has been made over the past few decades, but no one would yet confuse Omaha as being a human mosaic.
That’s really about it. We can’t change the fact it gets miserably cold here in winter, or that we live in “flyover” country, but that hasn’t stopped cities like Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas or Nashville from becoming boom cities.
Continue demolition of old houses and construction of new residential buildings (like what is going on in the midtown area).
And don't let them all be rentals.
1. If the NRD and Army are going to build more dams on the Papio, how about at least one deep water/wide area dam (>25 feet deep and at least 500 yards wide) so people can go boating or sailing?
2. Dredging a channel in the Elkhorn to rid it of snags (only) and allowing canoes and kayaks to access it when it is over 5 feet deep (seems like the river was closed most of last summer.)
3. Encourage family businesses and local restaurants (by maybe eliminating the restaurant tax for local digs.)
4. Better marketing for events (like maybe two weeks out). I am genuinely tired of finding out some event is going on tomorrow after we have firm plans made. We are a big enough city to have a tourism site that can reach out a ways. The marketing for the Curling event was non-existent and the crowd showed it.
5. Bike trails that go East and West to allow actual commuting.
6. Round of applause for the management of Countryside Village. They ended arrangements with a number of old school tennants and (especially here) took a lot of |expletive| for it. Got to hand it to them, the next generation of shops is a handy group to have.
nativeomahan wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:27 am
A wish list...beyond warmer weather. lol
1. A continuation and acceleration of the development of walkable entertainment districts accompanied by dense housing, so that infill neighborhoods can be active on a 24/7 basis.
2. Better, more reliable public transportation, so that residents who don’t live in one of these entertainment districts can easily and inexpensively access them without having to worry about getting behind the wheel of a car and hunting for parking, then risking having consumed too much alcohol to drive home.
3. Developers willing to build high rise (more than 15 stories tall) housing, like almost every other city our size on the planet.
4. City fathers and mothers working to encourage and celebrate diversity in the citizenry. People need to feel welcomed and appreciated living in or visiting Omaha, regardless of their ethnic, religious, sexual or economic backgrounds. Some progress has been made over the past few decades, but no one would yet confuse Omaha as being a human mosaic.
That’s really about it. We can’t change the fact it gets miserably cold here in winter, or that we live in “flyover” country, but that hasn’t stopped cities like Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas or Nashville from becoming boom cities.
bigredmed1 wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:58 pm
1. If the NRD and Army are going to build more dams on the Papio, how about at least one deep water/wide area dam (>25 feet deep and at least 500 yards wide) so people can go boating or sailing?
2. Dredging a channel in the Elkhorn to rid it of snags (only) and allowing canoes and kayaks to access it when it is over 5 feet deep (seems like the river was closed most of last summer.)
3. Encourage family businesses and local restaurants (by maybe eliminating the restaurant tax for local digs.)
4. Better marketing for events (like maybe two weeks out). I am genuinely tired of finding out some event is going on tomorrow after we have firm plans made. We are a big enough city to have a tourism site that can reach out a ways. The marketing for the Curling event was non-existent and the crowd showed it.
5. Bike trails that go East and West to allow actual commuting.
6. Round of applause for the management of Countryside Village. They ended arrangements with a number of old school tennants and (especially here) took a lot of |expletive| for it. Got to hand it to them, the next generation of shops is a handy group to have.
Oh, man a tourism site is needed. Also, the fact that Countryside began allowing alcohol on-premises in their businesses (I believe the original developer's son made this decision) that made all the difference. Great selection of shops now.
1) Focus on and work on becoming & developing into a city that is more of an undeniable "urban delight", like something citizens/visitors feel when they live in or visit Minneapolis-St Paul. Omaha is getting better, thankfully. Working on becoming a tighter, urban city is one aspect of it. Omaha will never be a San Francisco or Seattle -- but neither will Kansas City or Minneapolis or Denver (and they are impressive in their own right). So big deal. It can still continue to greatly improve, though, and "reach for the sky." Sky's the limit.
2) Some new beltways, or first new swaths of an outer beltway system going in. I'm so just tired of I-80 and I-680. And, they could be named "__________ Expressway", like named after significant Omahans. Like "Father Flanagan Expressway" or "Mrs B. Expressway."
3) Fix the Old Mill area by clearing out older stuff to make room for bigger, beefier suburban office buildings.
4) Start forming nice suburbs and shopping up and out along the new Blair highway. I think that new corridor is exciting -- like a new frontier for designers and developers.
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
RockHarbor wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 7:57 pm
Start forming nice suburbs and shopping up and out along the new Blair highway. I think that new corridor is exciting -- like a new frontier for designers and developers.
nativeomahan wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:27 am
A wish list...beyond warmer weather. lol
1. A continuation and acceleration of the development of walkable entertainment districts accompanied by dense housing, so that infill neighborhoods can be active on a 24/7 basis.
2. Better, more reliable public transportation, so that residents who don’t live in one of these entertainment districts can easily and inexpensively access them without having to worry about getting behind the wheel of a car and hunting for parking, then risking having consumed too much alcohol to drive home.
3. Developers willing to build high rise (more than 15 stories tall) housing, like almost every other city our size on the planet.
4. City fathers and mothers working to encourage and celebrate diversity in the citizenry. People need to feel welcomed and appreciated living in or visiting Omaha, regardless of their ethnic, religious, sexual or economic backgrounds. Some progress has been made over the past few decades, but no one would yet confuse Omaha as being a human mosaic.
That’s really about it. We can’t change the fact it gets miserably cold here in winter, or that we live in “flyover” country, but that hasn’t stopped cities like Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas or Nashville from becoming boom cities.
RockHarbor wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 7:57 pm
Start forming nice suburbs and shopping up and out along the new Blair highway. I think that new corridor is exciting -- like a new frontier for designers and developers.
There's only a couple miles of that in Omaha.
I don't necessarily mean right on the immediate NW edge of Omaha. They've already started some industrial parks through there, btw.
I mean starting subdivision and shopping a ways up there -- closer to that airport maybe. It is such a pretty drive up to Blair on it, and I almost wonder if the land is higher through there? It is just so open and it feels like you can see forever. Blair is also such a cute town anymore.
I just think it is a perfect "blank slate" for new everything. I respect Omaha for not allowing leap-frogging of subdivisions, but I still think they should allow some "wiggle room." It is not like Omaha is some expanding, unfinished "puzzle" on a card table, and we always have to attach & fit the new "puzzle piece" to the perimeter. I mean, they did allow Skyline Ranches and Westmont a ways out before Omaha grew out to them.
I think it is better to start the development further up north, and maybe the development around Bennington and the subdivisions & shopping along the Blair High Road will creep south to eventually connect with NW Omaha, maybe...
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
I think with 133 being widened we will finally see better fill-in northward from 680 and 133. I think we will see a trend of more northward development that would further progress if highway 36 were to be widened between 133 and 156th street. Thinking more of it, this should be very helpful because there's not infrastructure in place to support subdivisions at 192nd and state. I think we'd be wise to stop developing near-northwest (from West Maple to State and 168th to 204th) and focus on that far north 133 corridor. Unless, of course, 180th becomes a major thoroughfare.
Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:19 pm
I think with 133 being widened we will finally see better fill-in northward from 680 and 133. I think we will see a trend of more northward development that would further progress if highway 36 were to be widened between 133 and 156th street. Thinking more of it, this should be very helpful because there's not infrastructure in place to support subdivisions at 192nd and state. I think we'd be wise to stop developing near-northwest (from West Maple to State and 168th to 204th) and focus on that far north 133 corridor. Unless, of course, 180th becomes a major thoroughfare.
I'm talking like them putting in a huge golf course at first, out near maybe Dutch Hall Road and 133, with streets weaving throughout the greens, like you see designed and layed out at "Deer Creek" (yet one with a great celebratory regional name, like "Cottonwood Creek" or "Ponca Creek", or maybe using a singular bold Native American word, one with significant meaning and a pretty ring to it, from the Omaha, Ponca, Sioux, or Pawnee language -- just like Seattle area has a large, continually expanding planned community named "Klahanie"). I can imagine them keeping big old-growth cottonwoods at the entrance (like you see at Linden Estates). With the rolling land and big skies and big horizon line and sweeping views, it will all just highlight & celebrate the beauty of the land surrounding Omaha, and attract new residents. The main entrance could be very, very grand, and they could even incorporate zig-zagging Native American designs in the brick & stone. (Other states celebrate their land & natural beauty in the naming and design of local developments, and Omaha needs to do the same, imo. The existing "Prairie Point" name comes to mind...)
That area could have strip centers/retail popping up, with the signature name incorporated into their name (like you see in the Eagle Run area, with "Eagle Run Plaza.") I'm just ready for a major new & exciting hot area in the Omaha area.
Unfortunately, the farm grid doesn't allow for a very big "clean slate." Yet, the farm grid could stay, and doesn't stop a community theme from forming in the area.
Anyways, back to the main subject of what you want to see Omaha do/change....
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
