So would the $1 billion investment be for a complete reworking of the entire current Merchantile plan or just this connected 3 building structure?Brad wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:21 pmThanks for the link. This is what I was referring to in my post above.ita wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:04 pm Thinking about it more, AIA did award the Mercantile project for an innovative (for Omaha) office design. I posted about it last week on this thread: https://eomahaforums.com/viewtopic.php? ... &start=560
Anyway, NPdodger's comment about expanded office makes sense. The rendering provided in the MBJ is a couple more stories than the previous T3 rendering. Anyway, I am holding out some hope there is some truth to this rumor. It seems like an odd time to move forward with a project as described in Omaha at this time with inflated everything and still high interest rates. Local outlook, from what I have heard from real estate and development folks, is wait and see for the next year or two. But Hines is a developer on another level, so who knows.
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I don’t think anyone knows at this point.. But if his sources pan out, we should hear an announcement before the end of the year; and have those questions answered…Spice Johnson wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 11:21 pmSo would the $1 billion investment be for a complete reworking of the entire current Merchantile plan or just this connected 3 building structure?Brad wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:21 pmThanks for the link. This is what I was referring to in my post above.ita wrote: ↑Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:04 pm Thinking about it more, AIA did award the Mercantile project for an innovative (for Omaha) office design. I posted about it last week on this thread: https://eomahaforums.com/viewtopic.php? ... &start=560
Anyway, NPdodger's comment about expanded office makes sense. The rendering provided in the MBJ is a couple more stories than the previous T3 rendering. Anyway, I am holding out some hope there is some truth to this rumor. It seems like an odd time to move forward with a project as described in Omaha at this time with inflated everything and still high interest rates. Local outlook, from what I have heard from real estate and development folks, is wait and see for the next year or two. But Hines is a developer on another level, so who knows.
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Npdodger12 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:15 pm Announcement is likely to come before the end of the year. Billion+ investment.
What do we think the odds are that this announcement happens before the end of the year? Maybe, like the Mutual Tower, the announcement will happen in January.
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Perhaps they were waiting for the final streetcar approval? I suppose we have a few more days to see.Doctor Fate wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:37 pmNpdodger12 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:15 pm Announcement is likely to come before the end of the year. Billion+ investment.What do we think the odds are that this announcement happens before the end of the year? Maybe, like the Mutual Tower, the announcement will happen in January.
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Just here to fan the flames. Noddle is such a tease.Garrett wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:31 pmPerhaps they were waiting for the final streetcar approval? I suppose we have a few more days to see.Doctor Fate wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:37 pmNpdodger12 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:15 pm Announcement is likely to come before the end of the year. Billion+ investment.What do we think the odds are that this announcement happens before the end of the year? Maybe, like the Mutual Tower, the announcement will happen in January.
https://omaha.com/news/local/omaha-city ... -top-story
Jay Noddle, a local developer and president of the Omaha Streetcar Authority, said the development brought by Mutual of Omaha is just one example of upcoming projects along the streetcar route.
“There are many more development projects already considered and approved that don’t get talked about,” Noddle said. “I think we’ll see a lot of cranes in 2023.”
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Announcement won’t be coming until end of January, but will be worth the wait. A very, very large, online retailer will have a significant presence as part of this project. There will be four cranes, not three.
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Hmmm
…
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Amazon HQ3!! Bank it!! LOL
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Interesting, so four cranes now instead of three means that there will be four buildings instead of the three previously mentioned?Npdodger12 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 5:09 pm Announcement won’t be coming until end of January, but will be worth the wait. A very, very large, online retailer will have a significant presence as part of this project. There will be four cranes, not three.
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And color me even more skeptical than before.
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This one is so buttoned up, even the Cryptic Rumor Department doesn’t have a bead on it..
As always, we’ll see…
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Will this "very, very large, online retailer" have an office presence or a retail/storefront presence?Npdodger12 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 5:09 pm Announcement won’t be coming until end of January, but will be worth the wait. A very, very large, online retailer will have a significant presence as part of this project. There will be four cranes, not three.
Also, I'm curious. -- Are you working on The Mercantile in any way? What's your relationship to the development project?
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They said the online retailer would have a "significant presence", that feels like an office presence if true.MadJack wrote: ↑Fri Dec 16, 2022 3:37 amWill this "very, very large, online retailer" have an office presence or a retail/storefront presence?Npdodger12 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 5:09 pm Announcement won’t be coming until end of January, but will be worth the wait. A very, very large, online retailer will have a significant presence as part of this project. There will be four cranes, not three.
Also, I'm curious. -- Are you working on The Mercantile in any way? What's your relationship to the development project?
They also said they had a source who was "very reliable".
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Hayneedle?
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Amazon Fresh Market would be my guess… it checks a lot of boxes: large online retailer, large presence, tight-lipped secrecy, supports additional downtown residential development.
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Get ready to be excited folks.
Here comes Wayfair Tower Omaha!!

Here comes Wayfair Tower Omaha!!

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Not everyone's a mission style skyscraper kinda person.
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That and I'm a bit concerned that it doesn't have a reflection in the water. Vampire Mission Style? Vampire Gangnam Mission Style? What the H E L L is going on here?almighty_tuna wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 5:21 pm Not everyone's a mission style skyscraper kinda person.
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We’ll find out..Bob from Omaha wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:29 pmThat and I'm a bit concerned that it doesn't have a reflection in the water. What the H E L L is going on here?almighty_tuna wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 5:21 pm Not everyone's a mission style skyscraper kinda person.
60-90 days
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I have some new info to pass on. The very, very, large online retailer will have an even more significant presence in a mixed use location west of downtown which will have four towers and utilize existing parking. An announcement will be made later this year. Construction won’t start until 2026 though.
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So that's a significant presence in the Conagra development area, then additional significant presence essentially in the old MoO space by Midtown Crossing once they've moved to their new tower....if the tea leaves are to be read correctly here regarding "utilizing existing parking" west of downtown. Well, here's hoping I guess. Still a long ways off if this does actually pan out.
It's a bold rumor, Cotton, let's see how this plays out.

It's a bold rumor, Cotton, let's see how this plays out.

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The amount of spice in this rumor is making me more and more doubtful.
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Yes, I agree. This online retailer will have a significant presence in the Mercantile with a construction completion estimate of spring 2025, and then it will have a very significant presence in four mixed use towers in Midtown? Very spicy.
If this does pan out, who could this online retailer be? eBay? Etsy? Wayfair?
To clear things up, the online retailer will not have a significant presence in FOUR mixed use towers in Midtown. In Midtown, there will be two office towers and two residential towers with ground floor retail space. The online retailer will only be occupying ONE of the Midtown office towers. It will be a more significant presence because it’s Midtown tower will be several floors taller than their eastern location.Doctor Fate wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:01 pmYes, I agree. This online retailer will have a significant presence in the Mercantile with a construction completion estimate of spring 2025, and then it will have a very significant presence in four mixed use towers in Midtown? Very spicy.
If this does pan out, who could this online retailer be? eBay? Etsy? Wayfair?
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So then will the original alleged announcement still happen as planned later this month or are we moving goalposts again?
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Hmmm…makes me think a significant local office or HQ presence in Midtown and a brick and mortar store configured for an urban mixed-use site that would have little direct competition for a long while. There are a few possible companies that I can see making that happen, and that would benefit from that. This is interesting….
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I stopped believing this a while ago. I think there is obviously going to be further Conagra land development but I don’t think this person has any real knowledge.
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Nothing about this rumor has any logic to it. Some giant online retailer suddenly has a need for space here, in Omaha, at a time when everyone is downsizing or maintaining office space? And the construction timetable went from ending in 2025 (for three buildings!) to starting in 2026? Hypothetically, if he’s not full of |expletive| part of it will fall through as described because the ambition is moronic given the market conditions and timeline.
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LOL. It was actually four buildings at the Mercantile that would finish in 2025 (one for a W Hotel, two office buildings for a medical company and an insurance company, and then the building for the online retailer. And the four buildings in Midtown would then start in 2026 (two office and two residential).TitosBuritoBarn wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:26 am Nothing about this rumor has any logic to it. Some giant online retailer suddenly has a need for space here, in Omaha, at a time when everyone is downsizing or maintaining office space? And the construction timetable went from ending in 2025 (for three buildings!) to starting in 2026? Hypothetically, if he’s not full of |expletive| part of it will fall through as described because the ambition is moronic given the market conditions and timeline.
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Doctor Fate wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 1:28 amLOL. It was actually four buildings at the Mercantile that would finish in 2025 (one for a W Hotel, two office buildings for a medical company and an insurance company, and then the building for the online retailer. And the four buildings in Midtown would then start in 2026 (two office and two residential).TitosBuritoBarn wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:26 am Nothing about this rumor has any logic to it. Some giant online retailer suddenly has a need for space here, in Omaha, at a time when everyone is downsizing or maintaining office space? And the construction timetable went from ending in 2025 (for three buildings!) to starting in 2026? Hypothetically, if he’s not full of |expletive| part of it will fall through as described because the ambition is moronic given the market conditions and timeline.
Sounds like the same person who was figuring space needs for the medical company also calculated the parking needs for the four new towers in midtown. Not one new spot needed for four towers, huh? Maybe that means like three new streetcar lines are part of the deal!
And the W Hotel folks must be desperate these days to expand to Omaha given that their website's About page states "W was born from the mix of eclectic cultures and vibrant energy of New York City. Today, W takes that 24/7 vigour worldwide, bringing the best of music, fashion, design and fuel to stunning destinations around the globe." and the least touristy North American market they're currently in is Minneapolis.
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All bologna imo
Midtown development utilizes an existing parking structure, but will also include a NEW parking structure. The downtown development will also include a very large, NEW parking structure. After all, this is Omaha, and many of us love to drive our cars everywhere. It gets extremely cold and extremely hot here. It’s not ideal for walking and riding bike several months out of the year, and not everyone is going to ride a streetcar or bus.
Downtown development still schedule to be announced in January. Midtown development probably not until fall at the earliest.
Online retailer company will NOT have a brick and mortar store here. Only offices that were previously intended for other cities. Why they chose Omaha, I don’t know.
Downtown development still schedule to be announced in January. Midtown development probably not until fall at the earliest.
Online retailer company will NOT have a brick and mortar store here. Only offices that were previously intended for other cities. Why they chose Omaha, I don’t know.

