
Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Moderators: nebugeater, Omaha Cowboy, Brad, BRoss
-
Linkin5
- County Board
- Posts: 4864
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2004 7:59 pm
-
Garrett
- County Board
- Posts: 4629
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:29 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the towerLinkin5 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:55 am Planned for the old post office site where the Doubletree and older First National Bank of Omaha tower now sit. Initially, a 36 floor mixed use tower was originally proposed.
![]()
OMA-->CHI-->NYC
-
Linkin5
- County Board
- Posts: 4864
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2004 7:59 pm
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Correct 1965.
-
skinzfan23
- City Council
- Posts: 11578
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:26 am
- Location: Omaha/Bellevue
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Love how the cost was est at $20, today that would be $500 million
-
Renovator2559
- Human Relations
- Posts: 943
- Joined: Tue May 23, 2023 2:48 pm
- Location: Midtown Omaha
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Meh, it would have just been another woodman tower look alike, with an oppressive brutalist design.Garrett wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:09 am 1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the tower
If only the old post office would have been preserved, but they had trouble preserving.
This building would have been an iconic historic building.

Home sweet, home...Omaha!
-
NEDodger
- Parks & Recreation
- Posts: 1339
- Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 1:19 am
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Ground floor retail, half office space / half hotel. Assuming FNBO would have occupied the office space anyways. With the Woodman Tower coming online a few years later and us having both a 30-story and a 36-story by 1970, I wonder if there would have been more aggressiveness in building upwards?
-
Garrett
- County Board
- Posts: 4629
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:29 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Making more of the article out, it says the restaurant would have offered views from 500 ft, so this would have been taller than Woodmen's 478 ft. Add in the ground floor retail, plus keeping 16th street open, this really would have been a much better use for that block. It's a shame it wasn't built.NEDodger wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:08 pm Ground floor retail, half office space / half hotel. Assuming FNBO would have occupied the office space anyways. With the Woodman Tower coming online a few years later and us having both a 30-story and a 36-story by 1970, I wonder if there would have been more aggressiveness in building upwards?
OMA-->CHI-->NYC
-
Busguy2010
- City Council
- Posts: 7267
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:32 pm
- Location: North Central Omaha
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
I could be wrong, but isn't that also the second iteration of the post office? I seem to recall the original being more ornate and of brown brick. I think it was destroyed by fire.Renovator2559 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:01 pmMeh, it would have just been another woodman tower look alike, with an oppressive brutalist design.Garrett wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:09 am 1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the tower
If only the old post office would have been preserved, but they had trouble preserving.
This building would have been an iconic historic building.
![]()
-
nebport5
- Planning Board
- Posts: 2752
- Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 3:13 pm
- Location: 68102
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
Are you maybe thinking of the old city hall?Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 12:49 pmI could be wrong, but isn't that also the second iteration of the post office? I seem to recall the original being more ornate and of brown brick. I think it was destroyed by fire.Renovator2559 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:01 pmMeh, it would have just been another woodman tower look alike, with an oppressive brutalist design.Garrett wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:09 am 1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the tower
If only the old post office would have been preserved, but they had trouble preserving.
This building would have been an iconic historic building.
![]()
-
Busguy2010
- City Council
- Posts: 7267
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:32 pm
- Location: North Central Omaha
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
I'm not sure. I'm probably remembering it wrong, but I thought I saw historical photos of a brown brick building right near there or 15th & Dodge. I think it was brown brick and might have had turrets on the corners.nebport5 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 2:52 pmAre you maybe thinking of the old city hall?Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 12:49 pmI could be wrong, but isn't that also the second iteration of the post office? I seem to recall the original being more ornate and of brown brick. I think it was destroyed by fire.Renovator2559 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:01 pmMeh, it would have just been another woodman tower look alike, with an oppressive brutalist design.Garrett wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:09 am 1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the tower
If only the old post office would have been preserved, but they had trouble preserving.
This building would have been an iconic historic building.
![]()
-
nebport5
- Planning Board
- Posts: 2752
- Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 3:13 pm
- Location: 68102
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
This one was at 18th and Farnam also known at "The Red Castle".Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 4:51 pmI'm not sure. I'm probably remembering it wrong, but I thought I saw historical photos of a brown brick building right near there or 15th & Dodge. I think it was brown brick and might have had turrets on the corners.nebport5 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 2:52 pmAre you maybe thinking of the old city hall?Busguy2010 wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 12:49 pmI could be wrong, but isn't that also the second iteration of the post office? I seem to recall the original being more ornate and of brown brick. I think it was destroyed by fire.Renovator2559 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:01 pmMeh, it would have just been another woodman tower look alike, with an oppressive brutalist design.Garrett wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:09 am 1965 if I'm making out the year right? That would have been quite the tower
If only the old post office would have been preserved, but they had trouble preserving.
This building would have been an iconic historic building.
![]()

-
Cermak
- Planning Board
- Posts: 2317
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:02 pm
Re: Old Post Office Site - 36 Story Tower Proposal
I had never heard of this proposal before. I had heard about the one directly east of the Woodmen back in the 60 or 70’s. This is just one of many failed or downsized highrise projects in Omaha. Which makes the current Mutual tower all that much more of a big deal.Linkin5 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:55 am Planned for the old post office site where the Doubletree and older First National Bank of Omaha tower now sit. Initially, a 36 floor mixed use tower was originally proposed.
![]()