Solana Apartments - Former Hotel (72 & Cedar Street)

[Brad]

Former Double Tree/Embassy Suites/Granada Royale

According to a rumor passed along on last Saturday's Grow Omaha Radio Show...

The Double Tree at 72 and Mercy could be going back to an Embassy Suites.

[nativeomahan]

I wonder why it ever changed in the first place.

[drsunu1994]

I hope so. Embassy would be much better to have on 72nd anyways. But i believe the structure isn't large enough to support the prototype for Embassy.

[iamjacobm]

This ended up becoming "Aksarben Suites"

[Greg S]

This place has closed now. Looks like some construction may be going on. Anybody heard anything on it?

Greg

[Louie]

This place has closed now. Looks like some construction may be going on. Anybody heard anything on it?

Greg

For real? I just booked a night there for Saturday!?

[Greg S]

This place has closed now. Looks like some construction may be going on. Anybody heard anything on it?

Greg

For real? I just booked a night there for Saturday!?

Might have been short term. Looks like it's open again. If you go, ask them what's been going on. Would love to know status.

I also went by the one at 72nd and Center that houses Shark Club, and now it looks closed. Sign down and they would not let you enter parking lot from 72nd. Anybody know this status?

Greg

[hatwate]

The Double Tree was closed for renovation but is now open.

[Greg S]

The Double Tree was closed for renovation but is now open.

The hotels I've been referring to are at 72nd and Center area (one is the Ak Sar Been Suites that was originally Embassy Suites), are you referring to that or the current DoubleTree at 72nd and I80 that has been open for a while?

Greg

[hatwate]

The Double Tree was closed for renovation but is now open.

The hotels I've been referring to are at 72nd and Center area (one is the Ak Sar Been Suites that was originally Embassy Suites), are you referring to that or the current DoubleTree at 72nd and I80 that has been open for a while?

Greg

Aksarben Suites @ 72nd and Cedar. I just called them again and was told they were closed for renovation from 1/1 thru 4/30. They reopened on 5/1.

[Greg S]

The Double Tree was closed for renovation but is now open.

The hotels I've been referring to are at 72nd and Center area (one is the Ak Sar Been Suites that was originally Embassy Suites), are you referring to that or the current DoubleTree at 72nd and I80 that has been open for a while?

Greg

Aksarben Suites @ 72nd and Cedar. I just called them again and was told they were closed for renovation from 1/1 thru 4/30. They reopened on 5/1.

Great info, thanks! I wonder if something similar is going on with the hotel across Center?

Greg

[iamjacobm]

Rezone request here from commercial to R8. Building might be going to apartments, could be fairly attainable rents if it’s just a conversion and not a full redevelopment. Zoning docs should be uploaded later today or tomorrow with more detail.

EDIT: 181 apartments proposed, 169 of them studios.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/16.pdf

[ita]

Rezone request here from commercial to R8. Building might be going to apartments, could be fairly attainable rents if it’s just a conversion and not a full redevelopment. Zoning docs should be uploaded later today or tomorrow with more detail.

EDIT: 181 apartments proposed, 169 of them studios.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/16.pdf

It's a little odd that they skip 1 bedrooms altogether with the other 12 being two beds. I am guessing straight conversion. There's a neat courtyard, each unit could have it's one balcony space, this could be an interesting apartment complex.

[Cermak]

Could be interesting. The building itself is still attractive and has aged well.

[daveoma]

I don't think that it's a terrible idea. A lot of University students live in this area, and I can imagine some of them would be interested in this location.

[U R my Helix]

The address for this proposed conversion of hotel to 181 units of apartments is 7270 Cedar St. Omaha, NE 68124 The building is much larger than this Google street view indicates.

[nativeomahan]

I noticed yesterday that the former Granada Royale (and several later name changes) at 73rd and Cedar is closed off.

[ita]

This one is still in the works. Up for rezoning to R8 residential, 181 studios and 12 2 beds.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ber/20.pdf

[ita]

This may be finally happening? Planned Spring 2025 opening.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... 59_All.pdf

[nativeomahan]

Good to get it back as a property serving a purpose. Obviously it will add population density along a major arterial roadway.

[iamjacobm]

TIF request is in front of the planning board next month.

[Brad]

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ril/16.pdf

Small Studio = 183 Units
556SF
Rent = $1,195

Larger Studio = 14 Units
650 SF
Rent = $1,395

TOTAL 197 UNITS

The project developer is Urban Village Development, dba Cedar Street Apartments, LLC,
represented by Scott Semrad.

The applicant anticipates construction beginning about July 2025, with construction completion
estimated to be August 31, 2026.

[lisanstan]

Back in November 2005, this was my introduction to Omaha. My husband was transferring to a job at Offutt from Texas. We came up on a house hunting trip and stayed at the then Embassy Suites. It was in pretty bad shape back then and they were doing loud construction our entire visit. We've now lived here for 20 years, both of us retired and Omaha became home. My son left and came back. His long distance girlfriend moved here last year and they are getting married next week. Her mom just moved here earlier this month. We're doing our part to keep Omaha growing.

[skinzfan23]

Haha, funny thats the way I look at things too. I am originally from the area, but moved to eastern Iowa in the late 2000's for a few years, met my wife and now have 3 kids here. I have also gotten 2 of my wife's friends to relocate here for jobs. Trying to keep the population growing.

[Garrett]

Even in New York one of my favorite things to do is info dump about Omaha. Most of my projects in my grad school classes have been about Omaha actually haha.

And congrats to your son, Lisa

[Brad]

Abandoned Omaha hotel with striking skylights to be restored in $24 million apartment project

https://omaha.com/news/local/business/d ... 8afbc.html

The developers aim for the building, which they plan to call Solana, Spanish for “sunny spot,” to have a focus on health and wellness. That will include re-landscaping and planting the courtyard beds with tropical plants as a balm for bleak Nebraska winters. The building started its life as the Granada Royale Hometel in the 1970s and became an Embassy Suites after a sale in the mid-1980s.

“It kind of brings the outdoors in, and we can have that for 12 months of the year,” Semrad said.

The courtyard, he said, also will serve as a place for residents to gather and to work remotely. Alcoves on the floors will be set aside for remote workspaces.

In keeping with the health and wellness theme, the landlord-developers plan to outfit a 2,000-square-foot fitness center and renovate the tile-ringed indoor pool and hot tub. A clubhouse will open onto a patio. Sarah Tracey, an Omaha native and designer who now works in the Minneapolis area, is doing the design and brand work.

[skinzfan23]

This view with skylight is pretty nice still:

[GenX]

Abandoned Omaha hotel with striking skylights to be restored in $24 million apartment project

https://omaha.com/news/local/business/d ... 8afbc.html

The developers aim for the building, which they plan to call Solana, Spanish for “sunny spot,” to have a focus on health and wellness. That will include re-landscaping and planting the courtyard beds with tropical plants as a balm for bleak Nebraska winters. The building started its life as the Granada Royale Hometel in the 1970s and became an Embassy Suites after a sale in the mid-1980s.

“It kind of brings the outdoors in, and we can have that for 12 months of the year,” Semrad said.

The courtyard, he said, also will serve as a place for residents to gather and to work remotely. Alcoves on the floors will be set aside for remote workspaces.

In keeping with the health and wellness theme, the landlord-developers plan to outfit a 2,000-square-foot fitness center and renovate the tile-ringed indoor pool and hot tub. A clubhouse will open onto a patio. Sarah Tracey, an Omaha native and designer who now works in the Minneapolis area, is doing the design and brand work.

They act as if they’ve never seen an atrium before.

[nativeomahan]

The structure has good bones, and holds a lot of historic memories for people of my age.

[Cermak]

The structure has good bones, and holds a lot of historic memories for people of my age.

At one time this was one of the best hotels in Omaha. I think the first atrium hotel in the state.