The Duo (222 S 15 ST) formerly Central Park Plaza

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:14 pm

Rumor has it these building sold. New owner plans to demolish the old mall turned parking garage and build an actual parking garage. Heard maybe they will consolidate the office tenants in one building and make the other apartments.

ita · Post by **ita** » Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:23 pm

OmahaJaysCU wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:14 pm Rumor has it these building sold. New owner plans to demolish the old mall turned parking garage and build an actual parking garage. Heard maybe they will consolidate the office tenants in one building and make the other apartments.

It would be nice to something other than just a parking garage. Maybe a garage with some residential floors on top? I've never been in those buildings, but it seems like it would be great for that type of use.

Doctor Fate · Post by **Doctor Fate** » Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:58 pm

ita wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:23 pm
OmahaJaysCU wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:14 pm Rumor has it these building sold. New owner plans to demolish the old mall turned parking garage and build an actual parking garage. Heard maybe they will consolidate the office tenants in one building and make the other apartments.
It would be nice to something other than just a parking garage. Maybe a garage with some residential floors on top? I've never been in those buildings, but it seems like it would be great for that type of use.

Is the garage the one on the SE portion of block behind the towers? If so, I always thought that would be a cool location for a skinny tower.

But I agree with ita that it would be nice to have residential on top of a garage there. Maybe they would incorporate a grocery store if one of the towers goes residential.

Omahacritic · Post by **Omahacritic** » Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:12 pm

Last I heard, there isn’t a vacancy problem for downtown Omaha office space. So, to close one tower down, there has to be a place for the tenants to relocate. There is a lot of volume in each tower.

ita · Post by **ita** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 1:51 pm

Omaha's Central Park Plaza now has a local owner, and a makeover is in the works

Omaha’s Central Park Plaza — the oft-photographed twin-tower office complex in the downtown skyline — has shifted for the first time to local owners who plan to snazz it up as part of the wave of downtown redevelopment.

The new buyer, Omaha-based City Ventures, is one of America’s fastest-growing private companies, and it also plans to expand its headquarters in the 15-story red-brick property.

Included in the sale is the attached ParkFair Mall. Together, the structures built in the early 1980s contain nearly half a million square feet of building space and cover a city block bounded by Farnam, Douglas, 16th and 15th Streets.

Nebraska native Chris Erickson, who co-founded City Ventures with Danny White, said the company jumped on the chance to buy the property, which is about 35% vacant and in need of a major revamp to return to its glory.
...
Erickson believes a physical overhaul is overdue. He expects the update to attract more tenants and to bring bustle also to the western side of the complex: the 16th Street corridor, which has lost zeal and pedestrian traffic over the years.

When the three-level ParkFair Mall was built in 1984 on a parking area abutting the new Central Park Plaza, the mall was intended to save what was left of a once-thriving retail scene on 16th Street. But the combined retail and office mall that early on featured clothing and other stores later became indoor parking.

Asked about the future of the former retail-focused mall, Erickson said there are a variety of options. However, he said, he envisions the overall property to remain primarily office-focused. (ParkFair, 201. S. 16th St., folded into the same ownership as Central Park Plaza, 222 S. 15th St., in 2004.)

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:02 pm

Great news. It will be cool to see them connected in the middle too.

jomaha9 · Post by **jomaha9** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:35 pm

Random idea, but it would be cool if they could transform the old retail mall into a food hall, similar to Aksarben. It would be a great location when offices start to reopen and with the residential density nearby. Also, the Brandeis food court is garbage and this would be a much better alternative.

Doctor Fate · Post by **Doctor Fate** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm

Omahacritic wrote: Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:12 pm Last I heard, there isn’t a vacancy problem for downtown Omaha office space. So, to close one tower down, there has to be a place for the tenants to relocate. There is a lot of volume in each tower.

The article that ita posted said there is a 35% vacancy in the towers.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 4:05 pm

I would love to see some more activity in the area. Great to hear a local company bought it.

GenX · Post by **GenX** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 4:45 pm

Would they simply connect them at the back where they’re the closest, or do you think they’ll go whole hog and fill in the entire space between them?

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:29 pm

Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm The article that ita posted said there is a 35% vacancy in the towers.

Correct.. So that is indeed an “issue” (I won’t go as far as saying it’s a problem) that needs correction..

I’m glad a local ownership group has made this investment..and i ultimately hope they can help breath some much needed new life into the depressed 16th St corridor...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

buildomaha · Post by **buildomaha** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:42 pm

jomaha9 wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:35 pm Random idea, but it would be cool if they could transform the old retail mall into a food hall, similar to Aksarben. It would be a great location when offices start to reopen and with the residential density nearby. Also, the Brandeis food court is garbage and this would be a much better alternative.

Food ball was the first thing that came to my mind too!

Doctor Fate · Post by **Doctor Fate** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:34 pm

Omaha Cowboy wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:29 pm
Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm The article that ita posted said there is a 35% vacancy in the towers.
Correct.. So that is indeed an “issue” (I won’t go as far as saying it’s a problem) that needs correction..

I’m glad a local ownership group has made this investment..and i ultimately hope they can help breath some much needed new life into the depressed 16th St corridor...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Agreed. I'm hoping they can too. I just made that comment because Critic said there wasn't a vacancy problem but with as much vacant space as the article said just in this building, there could be a lot more foot traffic during the day if this building gets a big upgrade and then gets filled.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:56 pm

My favorite description of Central Park Plaza when the mall was added to the west side: "Two huge t i t s on the front and a little a s s on the back"
I know that's not PC in our day but it was pretty funny at the time.

ita · Post by **ita** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:07 am

Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:34 pm
Omaha Cowboy wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:29 pm
Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm The article that ita posted said there is a 35% vacancy in the towers.
Correct.. So that is indeed an “issue” (I won’t go as far as saying it’s a problem) that needs correction..

I’m glad a local ownership group has made this investment..and i ultimately hope they can help breath some much needed new life into the depressed 16th St corridor...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
Agreed. I'm hoping they can too. I just made that comment because Critic said there wasn't a vacancy problem but with as much vacant space as the article said just in this building, there could be a lot more foot traffic during the day if this building gets a big upgrade and then gets filled.

Yes, the 16th St. retail corridor could see a nice boost because of this change in ownership. I look forward to what City Ventures ultimately does here. While it does not seem to be part of the plan, I think applying the trend of adding floors to the Parkfair portion for residential units would be great for this block and for adding additional height to the corridor.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:16 am

ita wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:07 am
Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:34 pm
Omaha Cowboy wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:29 pm
Doctor Fate wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm The article that ita posted said there is a 35% vacancy in the towers.
Correct.. So that is indeed an “issue” (I won’t go as far as saying it’s a problem) that needs correction..

I’m glad a local ownership group has made this investment..and i ultimately hope they can help breath some much needed new life into the depressed 16th St corridor...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
Agreed. I'm hoping they can too. I just made that comment because Critic said there wasn't a vacancy problem but with as much vacant space as the article said just in this building, there could be a lot more foot traffic during the day if this building gets a big upgrade and then gets filled.
Yes, the 16th St. retail corridor could see a nice boost because of this change in ownership. I look forward to what City Ventures ultimately does here. While it does not seem to be part of the plan, I think applying the trend of adding floors to the Parkfair portion for residential units would be great for this block and for adding additional height to the corridor.

Right! This place has been looong overdue for a redo/refresh.. the 16th corridor should be a nice, lively place for mixed use/entertainment.. It’s been a depressed void in the downtown core for decades now...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:50 am

Taking a guess here, but this model by TACKarchitects looks an awful lot like a CPP overhaul to me.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:59 am

WHOA that is a major overhaul.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:25 pm

Impressive, the location is possibly the best in downtown. Omaha should always have a first class building there. Looks like it might be adding a few floors to the roof. Gotta like that. This was downtowns best building built in the 80’s. I also liked Physician mutuals building as well.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:04 pm

Same outfit that designed the Lanoha tower.

NEDodger · Post by **NEDodger** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:42 pm

Wow, really not what I was expecting - I figured it'd just be connections between the two buildings. Looks like there may be some adding on to the old ParkFair portion too?

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 2:01 pm

iamjacobm wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:50 am Taking a guess here, but this model by TACKarchitects looks an awful lot like a CPP overhaul to me.

Very interesting.. Looks like model rendering adds several stories with a new roof. I like it..

Great find

...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

ita · Post by **ita** » Sun Jun 06, 2021 2:30 pm

I like the sky suite portion. It will have a nice nice view overlooking the parks, river and bluffs, as long as something taller or as as tall is built on the library site or the site to the east of the library. Looks like it would be an awesome event venue with the enclosed balcony. I hope this design is the real deal.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:52 am

Great find, that is a heck of an overhaul.

Athomsfere · Post by **Athomsfere** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:32 pm

I'd love to keep the skydeck thing, but not fill in the whole tower. The building is distinct (two towers) and I'd hate to lose that. I mean, it looks very 80's and we are nearing the point where everything from the 80's looks bad... But one day, it might come back as retro and cool.

bldgengineer2015 · Post by **bldgengineer2015** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:57 pm

Athomsfere wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:32 pm I'd love to keep the skydeck thing, but not fill in the whole tower. The building is distinct (two towers) and I'd hate to lose that. I mean, it looks very 80's and we are nearing the point where everything from the 80's looks bad... But one day, it might come back as retro and cool.

Athomsfere · Post by **Athomsfere** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:59 pm

bldgengineer2015 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:57 pm
Athomsfere wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 12:32 pm I'd love to keep the skydeck thing, but not fill in the whole tower. The building is distinct (two towers) and I'd hate to lose that. I mean, it looks very 80's and we are nearing the point where everything from the 80's looks bad... But one day, it might come back as retro and cool.
As someone who is working on the building, the infill is required to have the 'skydeck'.

I was concerned that would be the case.

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 1:27 pm

I like the twins towers as well and it would be a shame to lose that aspect. This is a nice 80’s building as it is now. But the new renderings I think look like an improvement and the huge tall atrium would be a great asset to tenants and the city . I hope this moves forward.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm

Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.

jjjjhskr · Post by **jjjjhskr** » Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:31 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.

Exactly

plus I’d much rather see construction on the old UP site and a tower built where to DT library is (with a new library build on the Civic Auditorium site) before something would happen here.

ita · Post by **ita** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:27 am

jjjjhskr wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:31 pm
Bob from Omaha wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.
Exactly

plus I’d much rather see construction on the old UP site and a tower built where to DT library is (with a new library build on the Civic Auditorium site) before something would happen here.

Not to burst your bubble, but unless City Ventures caves, Central Park Plaza is getting it's 2.0 version before UP/Lanoha or DT library site is developed. Notwithstanding, yeah, the IG model is merely a tease, as far as we know. Even if City Ventures doesn't go with this exact design, however, I like that there is some ambition in doing more with this property, though I wish more were done on top of the garage than more garage space.

bldgengineer2015 · Post by **bldgengineer2015** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:31 am

ita wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:27 am
jjjjhskr wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:31 pm
Bob from Omaha wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.
Exactly

plus I’d much rather see construction on the old UP site and a tower built where to DT library is (with a new library build on the Civic Auditorium site) before something would happen here.
Not to burst your bubble, but unless City Ventures caves, Central Park Plaza is getting it's 2.0 version before UP/Lanoha or DT library site is developed. Notwithstanding, yeah, the IG model is merely a tease, as far as we know. Even if City Ventures doesn't go with this exact design, however, I like that there is some ambition in doing more with this property, though I wish more were done on top of the garage than more garage space.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:32 am

ita wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:27 am
jjjjhskr wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:31 pm
Bob from Omaha wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.
Exactly

plus I’d much rather see construction on the old UP site and a tower built where to DT library is (with a new library build on the Civic Auditorium site) before something would happen here.
Not to burst your bubble, but unless City Ventures caves, Central Park Plaza is getting it's 2.0 version before UP/Lanoha or DT library site is developed. Notwithstanding, yeah, the IG model is merely a tease, as far as we know. Even if City Ventures doesn't go with this exact design, however, I like that there is some ambition in doing more with this property, though I wish more were done on top of the garage than more garage space.

That sums up my feelings on this matter quite nicely ita

..

It’ll likely be years before the UP or Civic parcels actually see real, green lighted development. I’m holding out hope the Riverfront redevelopment plan can breathe life into development on the Library site a bit quicker..

We’ll see...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

ita · Post by **ita** » Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:41 pm

bldgengineer2015 wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:31 am
ita wrote: Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:27 am
jjjjhskr wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:31 pm
Bob from Omaha wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:05 pm Remember that this is a model or rendering. It's a suggestion. Most companies go through a process where numerous designs are presented before one is chosen, if at all. Let's not get too excited before they announce an actual project, AND actually do something.
Exactly

plus I’d much rather see construction on the old UP site and a tower built where to DT library is (with a new library build on the Civic Auditorium site) before something would happen here.
Not to burst your bubble, but unless City Ventures caves, Central Park Plaza is getting it's 2.0 version before UP/Lanoha or DT library site is developed. Notwithstanding, yeah, the IG model is merely a tease, as far as we know. Even if City Ventures doesn't go with this exact design, however, I like that there is some ambition in doing more with this property, though I wish more were done on top of the garage than more garage space.
The IG Model is representative of the design direction it is headed at the current moment in time.

Thanks for confirming. It's got my thumbs up.

Somedude · Post by **Somedude** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:44 am

Looks like the building owners are floating around a face lift. Scope of work right is for a new skin, infilling and adding SF in between the two buildings and demo the existing parking garage and building one with 600 Stalls.

JDJase · Post by **JDJase** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:42 am

Looks very similar to the UP building. Personally I like how the building currently looks.

ita · Post by **ita** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:27 pm

Somedude wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:44 am Looks like the building owners are floating around a face lift. Scope of work right is for a new skin, infilling and adding SF in between the two buildings and demo the existing parking garage and building one with 600 Stalls.

Thanks for the rendering. Any idea is the new parking garage will have any ground floor activity? Would be nice if they could activate some of 16th street there, otherwise the whole area of 16th Street from Dodge to Farnam is essentially dead.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:13 pm

Meh, turning a unique building into another glass box.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:41 pm

I don’t mind the idea of a face lift..and it looks like there will be an added height component with a new roof..and I like that..

I completely understand the lack of enthusiasm as these current renderings certainly have a “UP Building cube” look to them..

The good thing is, the renderings usually don’t do the final green lighted version justice. I’d suspect there will be several more tweaks of the design before there’s an ultimate sign off…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

Cermak · Post by **Cermak** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:48 pm

The building as it is now is fine, it’s far from ugly and it’s one of the few buildings of this color in the Midwest. It’s color alone makes it memorable. I also like the potential of more height being added and the large atrium could be some dynamic downtown space. This is a tough call.