Omaha Central library (SWC 72 & Dodge)

[nativeomahan]

Yes, I’m impressed by the fact that the new library will probably be up and running before any ribbon cutting takes place for new businesses at Crossroads, despite their 3 or 4 or 5 year head start.

[ita]

Drawings for the new central library at the end of this submission.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/21.pdf

[Coyote]

Free artificial intelligence classes to be offered at Do Space starting this month



The Omaha Star has been around for decades, and publisher Terri Sanders wants to make sure it stays around for a long time to come. To do that, she’s tapped into artificial intelligence and uses it to generate word searches and crossword puzzles in each edition of the paper. “I consider myself the oldest millennial," Sanders said. "I embrace what is new, I embrace technology.”

[CompSci99]

Looks like they are setting up some sort of crane on the Northeast area of the site.

[skinzfan23]

Yes, looks like the base for a tower crane....didn't realize that they would be using one at this site.

[Dusty]

I think it's interesting the rendering removes the traffic light monstrosity over the intersection. I have also referred this metal structure as a formula one lights. Based on the angle of the rendering, your view would be blocked by the metal structure.

[skinzfan23]

Looking at the city cam, it appears there is a crane there to assemble the tower crane, so I would think that will probably happen sometime soon.

[Brad]

Looking at the city cam, it appears there is a crane there to assemble the tower crane, so I would think that will probably happen sometime soon.

Here is the base from a week ago. Forgot to post it.

IMG_7177.png

[Brad]

Tower Crane went up today. These were shot around noon before the arm went up.

1.

20231115881A0526.jpg

2.

20231115881A0530.jpg

[BRoss]

Tower Crane went up today. These were shot around noon before the arm went up.

Nice, thanks for the updates! It was probably a pretty nice day to be out there.

Good to see how Crossroads is going too.

[skinzfan23]

Thanks for the update

[Dusty]

Every time I look at this picture I just see a massive stack of books and we are looking at the ends. It's like a fort made out of books and we get to play and learn inside.

[Louie]

Every time I look at this picture I just see a massive stack of books and we are looking at the ends. It's like a fort made out of books and we get to play and learn inside.

Everytime I look at this picture, I see no traffic lights lol.

[ita]

Every time I look at this picture I just see a massive stack of books and we are looking at the ends. It's like a fort made out of books and we get to play and learn inside.

Everytime I look at this picture, I see no traffic lights lol.

This is a rendering of the future where we won't need traffic lights.

[Dusty]

Yes, I brought that up in a previous post. The metal structure would block the view of the library.

What are the plans for Swanson Branch on 90th and Dodge? Are they tearing down the building for redevelopment?

[GetUrban]

Tower Crane went up today. These were shot around noon before the arm went up.

1.
20231115881A0526.jpg

2.
20231115881A0530.jpg

That's the nicest temporary construction trailer parking lot I've ever seen!

sorry I haven't posted much lately. I'm still out here lurking occasionally.

[thenewguy]

this is one of the beams for the library:



the cross section of the beam is 3.5' tall and that beam, in total, weighs 25k lbs

[PotatoeEatsFish]

I saw all of these crane pieces laying out by the South Omaha trail this summer. It’s cool to see them all put together now.


Also we desperately need some sort of 4 way crossing for pedestrians at this intersection, Scooters may need to be demolished but no loss there at all.

[MTO]

And the demolition of PetCo

[Dusty]

And the demolition of PetCo

I brought up a long time ago, Petco would become a target for development once Crossroads goes vertical. While we are at it, go ahead and tear down Fudruckers/Scooters on the Southeast corner. You can always bring Scooters back into the new design.

[Athomsfere]

This entire intersection needs work / to go. But it won't happen.

Petco looks very out of place with all the new stuff going up (in theory for some of it), but so does Cane's, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Fuddruckers, Chipotle, Scooters, Noodle & Co., Target and it's frontage...

And then that huge unfriendly intersection itself.

Getting a little worked up here, but in short: We really should have just torn it all out if we wanted to treat it like some sort of town square for the library.

[Louie]

This entire intersection needs work / to go. But it won't happen.

Petco looks very out of place with all the new stuff going up (in theory for some of it), but so does Cane's, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Fuddruckers, Chipotle, Scooters, Noodle & Co., Target and it's frontage...

And then that huge unfriendly intersection itself.

Getting a little worked up here, but in short: We really should have just torn it all out if we wanted to treat it like some sort of town square for the library.

I think the biggest issue here is that it really wasn't ever going to be a good 'town square' location...

[Athomsfere]

This entire intersection needs work / to go. But it won't happen.

Petco looks very out of place with all the new stuff going up (in theory for some of it), but so does Cane's, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Fuddruckers, Chipotle, Scooters, Noodle & Co., Target and it's frontage...

And then that huge unfriendly intersection itself.

Getting a little worked up here, but in short: We really should have just torn it all out if we wanted to treat it like some sort of town square for the library.

I think the biggest issue here is that it really wasn't ever going to be a good 'town square' location...

I think there is a hypothetical way to make it happen, but the City won't make the changes needed to get there.

It's far too easy to not do it because it's "too expensive", or inconveniences cars too much, or "we aren't ABCD where that would make sense".

[Louie]

It's far too easy to not do it because it's "too expensive", or inconveniences cars too much, or "we aren't ABCD where that would make sense".

True. The car traffic on that intersection is really high and getting city leaders to prioritize actual pedestrian activity there would be quite the miracle.

[Athomsfere]

It's far too easy to not do it because it's "too expensive", or inconveniences cars too much, or "we aren't ABCD where that would make sense".

True. The car traffic on that intersection is really high and getting city leaders to prioritize actual pedestrian activity there would be quite the miracle.

Yep. Or burying it all and putting a plaza on top.

Immensely expensive: But that should be the burden of trying to keep 12 lanes in "town square".

[Louie]

It's far too easy to not do it because it's "too expensive", or inconveniences cars too much, or "we aren't ABCD where that would make sense".

True. The car traffic on that intersection is really high and getting city leaders to prioritize actual pedestrian activity there would be quite the miracle.

Yep. Or burying it all and putting a plaza on top.

Immensely expensive: But that should be the burden of trying to keep 12 lanes in "town square".

That would be sick. We can all dream.

[nebport5]

This entire intersection needs work / to go. But it won't happen.

Petco looks very out of place with all the new stuff going up (in theory for some of it), but so does Cane's, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Fuddruckers, Chipotle, Scooters, Noodle & Co., Target and it's frontage...

And then that huge unfriendly intersection itself.

Getting a little worked up here, but in short: We really should have just torn it all out if we wanted to treat it like some sort of town square for the library.

I think the biggest issue here is that it really wasn't ever going to be a good 'town square' location...

Agree on both points. It feels like the city let Heritage do about whatever they want here. Heritage being city planners and all. However, It's hard to argue with the private money and the fact that the library design looks great- just not here. Overall, I think there's too many cooks in the 72nd & Dodge Kitchen as evident by the Frankensteinian mash up of retail, apartments and cemented car culture congestion. Had the library even ended up at Crossroads I'm not sure we'd be having this discussion.

[Athomsfere]

Agree on both points. It feels like the city let Heritage do about whatever they want here. Heritage being city planners and all. However, It's hard to argue with the private money and the fact that the library design looks great- just not here. Overall, I think there's too many cooks in the 72nd & Dodge Kitchen as evident by the Frankensteinian mash up of retail, apartments and cemented car culture congestion. Had the library even ended up at Crossroads I'm not sure we'd be having this discussion.

Sadly, no. There isn't much to argue with there.

Private money, land outside the core, meets the current design standards of where it is.

If Omaha were actually good at city planning, we wouldn't have done this. Instead we have to live with it for likely decades. But just maybe we will learn lessons and do better for the next thing. Or get enough awareness to try and fix this area.

[Dusty]

I would give it some more time. Once the library and Crossroads are built, other lots will become hot commodities like Petco.

You can still have the town square vibe. This will involve taking a few lanes away to give to transit. Taking a lane away to create a wide pedestrian island/boulevard down the center. The problem is people kick and scream over any congestion or having to function outside of the car. This will involve a modal shift for some and the city doesn't want to face the outcry of all the people refusing to change.

What? You expect me to walk from Target to the Library? Can't I just drive there? You can change the streetscape, but you have the change the mindset too. The city could easily change all this, but tends to take a hands off approach.

[Busguy2010]

I still think that halo pedestrian bridge idea would be the best solution. That would be top 5 next best things to happen to Omaha if it were to.

I agree the intersection will look much different down the road, it'll just take time, probably a lot of it.

[Athomsfere]

I would give it some more time. Once the library and Crossroads are built, other lots will become hot commodities like Petco.

You can still have the town square vibe. This will involve taking a few lanes away to give to transit. Taking a lane away to create a wide pedestrian island/boulevard down the center. The problem is people kick and scream over any congestion or having to function outside of the car. This will involve a modal shift for some and the city doesn't want to face the outcry of all the people refusing to change.

What? You expect me to walk from Target to the Library? Can't I just drive there? You can change the streetscape, but you have the change the mindset too. The city could easily change all this, but tends to take a hands off approach.

The thing is, that's backwards.

We've been shown repeatedly its easier to build the streets / geometry for how we want the infill to look.

We just redid this area, and are filling it in with more semi-suburban wasteland. When those lots come up for redevelopment we might get less setbacks, and some minor improvements... But it still won't be a great environment when you have to cross 12 lanes of traffic and the parking lots of at least Target and Crossroad which aren't going anywhere anytime soon most likely.

What we are building up will encourage driving from Target to the Crossroads development even, and for sure the Library.

It's just such a miss this area.

[Louie]

What we are building up will encourage driving from Target to the Crossroads development even, and for sure the Library.

I think this is what people fail to realize.

[nebport5]

One of the earlier Crossroads designs had included a library which I'd assume was to be the new central library. Granted there have been different developers involved but I have to wonder if the delays with Crossroads and then the urgent demolition of the Clark Dale for Mutual/streetcar contributed to excluding the library from the updated Crossroads plan and settling for this location. I'd like to think this wasn't the initially preferred site by the city/planning department.

It would be an interesting question for Fanslau next time he's on Grow Omaha.

[NEDodger]

One of the earlier Crossroads designs had included a library which I'd assume was to be the new central library. Granted there have been different developers involved but I have to wonder if the delays with Crossroads and then the urgent demolition of the Clark Dale for Mutual/streetcar contributed to excluding the library from the updated Crossroads plan and settling for this location. I'd like to think this wasn't the initially preferred site by the city/planning department.

It would be an interesting question for Fanslau next time he's on Grow Omaha.

I’d say there’s a high likelihood of this, but no one would give confirmation.

[Dusty]

One of the earlier Crossroads designs had included a library which I'd assume was to be the new central library. Granted there have been different developers involved but I have to wonder if the delays with Crossroads and then the urgent demolition of the Clark Dale for Mutual/streetcar contributed to excluding the library from the updated Crossroads plan and settling for this location. I'd like to think this wasn't the initially preferred site by the city/planning department.

It would be an interesting question for Fanslau next time he's on Grow Omaha.

I remember that old rendering. I bet they had meetings and realized the Crossroads developer was a hot mess. Slowly backing away....Yes, we will just build across the street. LOL!

[Dusty]

Out of curiosity, has there been any mention of the official name of the library? Will it remain as Do Space or Omaha Central Library?"
Or would they name it after someone like....Charlie Munger Media Center?

[Athomsfere]

Out of curiosity, has there been any mention of the official name of the library? Will it remain as Do Space or Omaha Central Library?"
Or would they name it after someone like....Charlie Munger Media Center?

Not that I have seen.

[S.O.Boy]

Out of curiosity, has there been any mention of the official name of the library? Will it remain as Do Space or Omaha Central Library?"
Or would they name it after someone like....Charlie Munger Media Center?

Any bets on Jean Stothert Public Library?

[nebport5]

The Jean Stothert Omaha Heritage Central Library at City Center Town Square


Please, no more "Do Space". Let's leave the "doing" to Home Depot.

[NEDodger]

Out of curiosity, has there been any mention of the official name of the library? Will it remain as Do Space or Omaha Central Library?"
Or would they name it after someone like....Charlie Munger Media Center?

Any bets on Jean Stothert Public Library?

Maybe posthumously. If worthless Mike Fahey gets a street, she should be getting significantly more.