Heartland of America Park

[skinzfan23]

Here is another video....this one of the Leahy Mall:

[BRoss]

I spent the afternoon here and it turned out amazing - especially the kids area at L&CL.

Having these three parks really makes downtown incredible. The vibe is different now. It always seems to be busy.

[ita]

We were there tonight from 8:30-10 pm. Energy was super fun and positive. The skate ribbon with live DJ was electric, especially with fireworks going off at 9. Lighting makes the park so attractive at night. Fountain looks great and it lit with color changing lights. Doesn't look as high but still a great feature. Didn't make it to Lewis and Clark, but HOA is an A+ and it is amazing at night!

[skinzfan23]

I didn’t get down there until right after the fireworks but I agree, what a great place.

I wonder if the fountain height can be changed like they used to when it’s windy. Last night was beautiful with the wind but if the fountain were much higher, it would have been spraying everywhere.

I thought the pier was cool but would be even better if each piece was individually lit with a led although that would be harder to maintain. On the tip overlooking the river, you could really feel it shake in the wind.

[PotatoeEatsFish]

I just moved to Omaha for the first time less than a week ago and seeing the fireworks from my backyard over the skyline was amazing

[Coyote]

Chief Big Elk statue lands at Lewis & Clark Landing

[Renovator2559]

In the park, I was talking to this couple that is from New Zealand, which were visiting today and the guy mentioned that his wife was in a 9 week leave, and that they have also been traveling around the US. They don't even have relatives in the midwest, yet here they came around for the opening of the park.

New Zealand has got to be one of the most remote areas from Omaha, yet out of all the countless cities in the US, Omaha was one of their destinations in time for the opening of the park.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Made it down this afternoon to Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing Phase 2 and 3 of the 3 Phased Riverfront redevelopment plan..

Simply stated- this place is amazing. What a GRAND SLAM home run this is for downtown Omaha and the Riverfront..

While these parks were being redesigned/reconstructed, I stated numerous times that Omaha will have developed something in their downtown/riverfront that will be the envy of most metros in the 1 to 1.5 million population range, and perhaps even bigger than that.. There is no doubt- GLM/Heartland of America Park/L & C Landing..

It’s an urban masterpiece …

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Brad]

Couple Fireworks Photos from Friday:

1.

881A3766.jpg

2.

881A3789.jpg

[BRoss]

Nice shots, Brad!

[ItsAllAboutMe]

The naysayers who were so vocal about this project not being worthwhile, you were slam dunked. The riverfront has exceeded any all expectations I had, and mine were pretty high. It's been an exciting few years watching the progress.

[ita]

The naysayers who were so vocal about this project not being worthwhile, you were slam dunked. The riverfront has exceeded any all expectations I had, and mine were pretty high. It's been an exciting few years watching the progress.

Agree on all points. I had the highest of expectations and they really nailed all of it for me. Next phase is how developers take advantage of this new amenity. I would love to see more retail, restaurant, and entertainment around the parks, in addition to residential units. GLM supposedly had at least 1 million visitors its first year. I only see that number increasing with the additional parks. That has to get the attention of retailers and business owners who want to be where the people are.

[skinzfan23]

Yes, I was thinking about this recently as well. There is no reason that businesses in the Old Market can't capitalize on this as well. There has been no other development in Omaha recently that has continually drawn so many people (residents and tourists) to one area on a nightly basis like this has. If the businesses can't find a way to draw people over 2 blocks, they probably shouldn't be in business.

I would also like to see some more development come from this as well, especially since in 3 years we are going to have a streetcar running right through all of it.

I feel like the city has done their part with the investment, now its up to the business owners/developers to step up and deliver as well.

[almighty_tuna]

I feel like the city has done their part with the investment, now its up to the business owners/developers to step up and deliver as well.

Legit. The city really has teed this up perfectly.

[Louie]

The naysayers who were so vocal about this project not being worthwhile, you were slam dunked. The riverfront has exceeded any all expectations I had, and mine were pretty high. It's been an exciting few years watching the progress.

Agree on all points. I had the highest of expectations and they really nailed all of it for me. Next phase is how developers take advantage of this new amenity. I would love to see more retail, restaurant, and entertainment around the parks, in addition to residential units. GLM supposedly had at least 1 million visitors its first year. I only see that number increasing with the additional parks. That has to get the attention of retailers and business owners who want to be where the people are.

Two 1 million+ attractions just 2 miles apart and in the heart of the city. Many cities should be drooling over this.

[Linkin5]

Where is the guy that was mad that the parks weren’t thrown together in three months?

[Garrett]

The naysayers who were so vocal about this project not being worthwhile, you were slam dunked. The riverfront has exceeded any all expectations I had, and mine were pretty high. It's been an exciting few years watching the progress.

Agree on all points. I had the highest of expectations and they really nailed all of it for me. Next phase is how developers take advantage of this new amenity. I would love to see more retail, restaurant, and entertainment around the parks, in addition to residential units. GLM supposedly had at least 1 million visitors its first year. I only see that number increasing with the additional parks. That has to get the attention of retailers and business owners who want to be where the people are.

Two 1 million+ attractions just 2 miles apart and in the heart of the city. Many cities should be drooling over this.

Hopefully the city is even pitching itself to some national developers that might not normally give Omaha another look. There’s a lot of factors making the urban core absolutely ripe for large private investments right now.

[CBJason]

The naysayers who were so vocal about this project not being worthwhile, you were slam dunked. The riverfront has exceeded any all expectations I had, and mine were pretty high. It's been an exciting few years watching the progress.

Agree on all points. I had the highest of expectations and they really nailed all of it for me. Next phase is how developers take advantage of this new amenity. I would love to see more retail, restaurant, and entertainment around the parks, in addition to residential units. GLM supposedly had at least 1 million visitors its first year. I only see that number increasing with the additional parks. That has to get the attention of retailers and business owners who want to be where the people are.

Two 1 million+ attractions just 2 miles apart and in the heart of the city. Many cities should be drooling over this.

Hopefully the city is even pitching itself to some national developers that might not normally give Omaha another look. There’s a lot of factors making the urban core absolutely ripe for large private investments right now.

Ya know, you guys are basically pointing out what I posted a few days ago in the OKC quad high rise thread that I was questioning. The developer of that project stated that OKC has all the ingredients of LA and other big cities for a project of that nature. So, what do they have that Omaha doesn’t have or will have in a couple years?! I feel Omaha is on the same development path as OKC right now so we should be able to get developments like that as well. Who knows what the city is or has been already doing behind the scenes but they should be going directly to developers like this and pointing out how ripe the Omaha core is for big bold projects!

[Dusty]

Livability just released their 2023 list of best cities to live in. Omaha is ranking pretty high. But what I was most impressed with was the bio written for Omaha. Praising the 3 downtown parks and Luminarium. This is fantastic publicity!

https://livability.com/best-places/2023 ... /omaha-ne/

[Omaha Cowboy]

Livability just released their 2023 list of best cities to live in. Omaha is ranking pretty high. But what I was most impressed with was the bio written for Omaha. Praising the 3 downtown parks and Luminarium. This is fantastic publicity!

https://livability.com/best-places/2023 ... /omaha-ne/

Excellent pub indeed. Thanks for sharing this…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Athomsfere]

Ya know, you guys are basically pointing out what I posted a few days ago in the OKC quad high rise thread that I was questioning. The developer of that project stated that OKC has all the ingredients of LA and other big cities for a project of that nature. So, what do they have that Omaha doesn’t have or will have in a couple years?! I feel Omaha is on the same development path as OKC right now so we should be able to get developments like that as well. Who knows what the city is or has been already doing behind the scenes but they should be going directly to developers like this and pointing out how ripe the Omaha core is for big bold projects!

OKC is growing faster (for some reason), and is larger.

But Omaha has the much stronger urban fabric, and is still growing at a very healthy rate.

Why OKC and not Omaha? No clue, likely it just fits the developer better with the stronger growth would be my guess.

[thenewguy]

the new Heartland of America Park is so much better than the previous iteration. I'm glad they kept my favorite part about it (the fountain) but added so much to it. We were down at the riverfront for 2 hours and didn't feel like we even have enough time. The skate ribbon is freakin cool, and I'm really glad they made it so you can rent skates from there. I can't skate for |expletive|, but my wife and 2 of the 3 kids really enjoyed it (the oldest is just like me and didn't make it too far). The green spaces are also very big, and the bocce courts/horse shoe pits are a great touch. The flag is absolutely massive and looks fantastic in the breeze. The pier is the coolest feature by far though, and has such a great view of the city, pics just don't do it justice

[GreenOZ]

I came across this well done, flyover of the Riverfront. The filming angles, music and the alternating day and night shots are gorgeous.

We love taking the kiddos during the day and night because the parks are safe. We wouldn't dare take kiddos at night in the parks of other cities.

[thenewguy]

as great as it is during the day, it looks better at night. I love how many people are there

[Renovator2559]

I agree, looks like they are removing the fence on the east side, which divides HoA and the Conagra campus.

I don't understand why people want to remove the Conagra buildings, if they have a 3-4 floors of density and the architecture and the tunnel system is nice too (I have worked for ConAgra, before it moved). Sure the name may have the "suburban" name but the future plans for the area have several buildings that are to be built in the current greenspaces. Also, it is good to have architectural variety.

[omahahawk]

So after about a half dozen visits to this new park it is really becoming clear to me that this new influx of people in the park is not a temporary thing. Cowboy called it an "urban masterpiece" which I believe is true. Hence, there's not much more one can add to that. However, what I have noticed most is that these new parks have really started a kind of Omaha passeggiata thing going on. As defined by the Google machine (and Rick Steve's Europe on PBS) the Italian tradition of la passeggiata "is an evening ritual, usually taking place before dinner. It's a gentle and slow stroll through the main streets of the city or town, usually in the main pedestrian shopping areas and piazzas, or along the seafront if you are by the sea". It seems as though these parks are made for exactly something like this and this is what they are no doubt inspiring. Incredible change.

[Omaha Cowboy]

So after about a half dozen visits to this new park it is really becoming clear to me that this new influx of people in the park is not a temporary thing. Cowboy called it an "urban masterpiece" which I believe is true. Hence, there's not much more one can add to that. However, what I have noticed most is that these new parks have really started a kind of Omaha passeggiata thing going on. As defined by the Google machine (and Rick Steve's Europe on PBS) the Italian tradition of la passeggiata "is an evening ritual, usually taking place before dinner. It's a gentle and slow stroll through the main streets of the city or town, usually in the main pedestrian shopping areas and piazzas, or along the seafront if you are by the sea". It seems as though these parks are made for exactly something like this and this is what they are no doubt inspiring. Incredible change.

Love this- fantastic observation!…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Stan]

So after about a half dozen visits to this new park it is really becoming clear to me that this new influx of people in the park is not a temporary thing. Cowboy called it an "urban masterpiece" which I believe is true. Hence, there's not much more one can add to that. However, what I have noticed most is that these new parks have really started a kind of Omaha passeggiata thing going on. As defined by the Google machine (and Rick Steve's Europe on PBS) the Italian tradition of la passeggiata "is an evening ritual, usually taking place before dinner. It's a gentle and slow stroll through the main streets of the city or town, usually in the main pedestrian shopping areas and piazzas, or along the seafront if you are by the sea". It seems as though these parks are made for exactly something like this and this is what they are no doubt inspiring. Incredible change.

This is a really great way to put it for the parks. I adore the way it's bringing people together in one area where they are coming from all walks of life and just enjoying what's been created. We've been down there a few times now since the new parks have opened so my kids could get out. One is older and wants to roller blade while the other wants to ride his scooter openly. I would chase around the younger while my spouse watches the other skate. I noticed so many families enjoying the park having a picnic, some guys just hanging out by the bocce ball court, others playing horse shoes, teenagers also trying roller skating...and some for the first time as they fall on their butts. Everyone just having a great time in all sections of the park. We spent the better part of an afternoon and evening there when the symphony played and that was just magical sitting out that evening.

[halgy]

I am constantly astonished at how busy the whole park is at like 9pm on a random Wednesday. I can't wait to see how the area continues to evolve and grow. It really makes me happy to have decided to live downtown (on top of all of the other great stuff, of course).

[swgiust]

Well it always goes well for a while... Sunday early evening was uncomfortably packed at the park. Large groups moving in packs were rowdy and loud. Set up a picknick on one table, were approached by a homeless man who would not leave. Group of kids were lifting up tables and chairs and swinging them around so close to us they were bumping our chair backs. If crowds this large are going to populate the park, they need a major step up in security.

[ita]

Well it always goes well for a while... Sunday early evening was uncomfortably packed at the park. Large groups moving in packs were rowdy and loud. Set up a picknick on one table, were approached by a homeless man who would not leave. Group of kids were lifting up tables and chairs and swinging them around so close to us they were bumping our chair backs. If crowds this large are going to populate the park, they need a major step up in security.

You should try to contact Riverfront Parks or MECA. I have asked questions through FB through Messenger and they have been responsive. That's a good suggestion, particularly during known busy times.

[ita]

We took our kids to the HOA for some roller skating last night, around 8 PM. Beautiful weather. A decent amount of people. There was a bunch of people skating, but many others walking around, hanging out on the hammocks, etc. I want to say I really appreciate them building a skate rink. First, it got my kids into trying something new that they otherwise wouldn't have. Second, it's a really neat community builder. Last night was my second oldest kid's 3rd time trying to skate and he was just not getting it. By the end of the night though, he had let go of the rails and was skating across the circular rink. He told us after that a lady gave him some tips and helped him get going without assistance. Granted, the advice was the same my wife was telling him, but you know sometimes they need to hear from someone other than their parents. Anyway, I thought that was neat.

Also, they need to build retail space facing these parks. I think Hines missed the mark on not building ground floor retail on the Farnam side of the Brickline. People park in the public garage and walk east, past, what will be nothingness on the ground floor. I know they were focusing on the Harney street promenade because it would be a center piece of their overall development, but they are missing out on a lot of foot traffic. Whatever they build on the lot east of the Brickline needs to have north facing retail space. Same with any potential development on the weird lot sandwiched between I-480 and HOA, it needs to have retail on it's south, park facing side.

[Coyote]

Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to temporarily close for inspection



The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Omaha will close next week for an essential maintenance inspection. Omaha’s Parks Department said in a release Monday the bridge is due for a five-year maintenance inspection. The bridge will be closed beginning next Monday, October 9. The Parks Department said the inspection should be wrapped up by Wednesday, the 18th, weather permitting.

[enthusiestomaha1433]

Anyone know the best way to join a sand volleyball league/team that plays at the new park?

[mistergutierrez]

Personally, I would have done one of the courts a beach soccer court.

[GreenOZ]

Personally, I would have done one of the courts a beach soccer court.

Too small for that. Hanafan park has ample room for soccer.
Besides, volleyball can't be played everywhere like soccer can and the volleyball courts are used a lot!

[ThreeGGG]

The slides at Lewis and Clark Landing are dangerous. Seriously, I know of two instances of adults with broken ankles.

[Toto]

The slides at Lewis and Clark Landing are dangerous. Seriously, I know of two instances of adults with broken ankles.

They are meant for kids. Adults weigh too much and have more momentum.

[thenewguy]

you can break your arm on a school playground.

[GenX]

you can break your arm on a school playground.

I know from experience.