Mercantile (Conagra campus development)

[iamjacobm]

I have to think ConAgra and Hines are ok with the quality of Drury's plan here to sell to them. A cheap out hotel building negatively impacts their investment in the Brickline and any future development they do on campus. If I remember right The Mercantile had a lot of planning work for all of the lots so it will go through design review to amend that plan for this news. Just assuming this building will be among the best in Drury's portfolio. If it is in fact a copy paste as the hotel in Lincoln that will be a big disappointment.

I do think you can probably stick a fork in the mass timber office building at this point.

[NEDodger]

It’s either Drury Inn, Drury Inn & Suites, Pear Tree Inn, or The Drury Plaza Hotel(the best one could hope for).

Is it possible they build two hotels at varying tiers?

I hope they don’t take up an entire corner of 10th St with just an f’ing garage.

Of the brands listed, all of the Drury name brands (+Drury Suites) are considered Upper Mid Scale on the STR Chains Scale, while Pear Tree Inn is just Midscale so wouldn't qualify. For reference, Embassy Suites is considered the next tier up at Upper Upscale

So this is a disappointment for previous Mercantile hotel rumors.

Eh. Let the mid-range, “just a hotel” buildings take up these lots.

Let’s get the Hyatts, the Omnis, and the W’s as part of high-rise towers on the State Building and former UP lots.

[Cermak]

This looks like your typical Drury, maybe they will go with a darker brick to try and match the Old Market. Even this is probably better than the vacant lot.

[nebport5]

This looks like your typical Drury, maybe they will go with a darker brick to try and match the Old Market. Even this is probably better than the vacant lot.

That’s my biggest concern. The general image of a Drury doesn’t mess well in my mind with the O.M. The best looking Drurys out there have been adaptations of older historic structures. The best image I can conjure up is a mass timber Drury(lol)...though I agree with Iamjacobm's assessment.

[Linkin5]

This looks like your typical Drury, maybe they will go with a darker brick to try and match the Old Market. Even this is probably better than the vacant lot.

While it’s not a ton better this is the design of their Lincoln building and the design that they seem to be using in urban settings.



They also have this design listed as a future build in South Carolina.



Drury has altered their usual standard designs in the past as well with their downtown Nashville location.

[nebport5]

Yes, we’ve discussed that latter Nashville design in the 10th & Harney thread, including a brown “brick” version that didn’t make it beyond a rendering.

I also have to wonder if Drury is what Heritage had in mind for their market. The Winnipeg Market they seemed to be channeling has a “boutique luxury” hotel. Of course, there’s no reason to think that project will come to fruitionin the foreseeable future in light of The Children’s Museum/Beam setback.

[windsor]

I can't wait for a big hotel to go in here. The Brickline building has added so much life to a dead corner and the hotel is only going to make it better.

[halgy]

I can't wait for a big hotel to go in here. The Brickline building has added so much life to a dead corner and the hotel is only going to make it better.

And hopefully a big hotel would help boost demand to the Brickline's ground floor. There's still a couple of big open bays. Personally, I'd like to see some sort of bigger convenience store or maybe a drugstore. Someplace to get the little necessities that you forget when traveling, or for locals to get a gallon of milk between larger shopping trips.

[Renovator2559]

Such ugly corporate boxy designs that look cheap. If a hotel will go here, make the architecture integrate with the Old Market. Because these Nashville ones are ugly

[ricko]

Such ugly corporate boxy designs that look cheap. If a hotel will go here, make the architecture integrate with the Old Market. Because these Nashville ones are ugly

Is “Omaha By Design” still a thing? Hold them to a certain standard. The Moxy is a perfect example of a hotel that blends in with the neighborhood. Props to the people with the foresight to do that. If they want it bad enough, they’ll cave. If not, someone will accept these standards eventually. I’m not in the “something is better than nothing” camp.

[ita]

Such ugly corporate boxy designs that look cheap. If a hotel will go here, make the architecture integrate with the Old Market. Because these Nashville ones are ugly

Is “Omaha By Design” still a thing? Hold them to a certain standard. The Moxy is a perfect example of a hotel that blends in with the neighborhood. Props to the people with the foresight to do that. If they want it bad enough, they’ll cave. If not, someone will accept these standards eventually. I’m not in the “something is better than nothing” camp.

Omaha by Design is absolutely still a thing. There is also the City's urban design board, and I think a project like this would make it to their agenda.

[nebport5]

I have to think ConAgra and Hines are ok with the quality of Drury's plan here to sell to them. A cheap out hotel building negatively impacts their investment in the Brickline and any future development they do on campus. If I remember right The Mercantile had a lot of planning work for all of the lots so it will go through design review to amend that plan for this news. Just assuming this building will be among the best in Drury's portfolio. If it is in fact a copy paste as the hotel in Lincoln that will be a big disappointment.

I do think you can probably stick a fork in the mass timber office building at this point.

The Chamber’s new website is up and they’re still marketing the T3 at The Mercantile as a development ready opportunity. Granted they are still using an old brochure that shows the Drury site and Heritage purchased sites as options. Nonetheless, the general master plan for The Mercantile seems to be evolving so who knows.

[bldgengineer2015]

Looks like the TIF for the proposed Drury Hotel is on the agenda for the January Planning Board Meeting. The documents haven't been uploaded yet though.

[iamjacobm]

Looks like the TIF for the proposed Drury Hotel is on the agenda for the January Planning Board Meeting. The documents haven't been uploaded yet though.

Well they are certainly moving quick. Thinking they might get docs posted a little early this week with the holiday but should know more about the design/scale soon enough.

[GenX]

Looks like the TIF for the proposed Drury Hotel is on the agenda for the January Planning Board Meeting. The documents haven't been uploaded yet though.

Well they are certainly moving quick. Thinking they might get docs posted a little early this week with the holiday but should know more about the design/scale soon enough.

I found the January 2006 planning board agenda items on the planning board map, but they haven’t updated their website to support filtering 2026.

Here is the link for the Drury planning board docs, but currently, there’s nothing there.
https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

[ita]

Looks like the TIF for the proposed Drury Hotel is on the agenda for the January Planning Board Meeting. The documents haven't been uploaded yet though.

Well they are certainly moving quick. Thinking they might get docs posted a little early this week with the holiday but should know more about the design/scale soon enough.

I found the January 2006 planning board agenda items on the planning board map, but they haven’t updated their website to support filtering 2026.

Here is the link for the Drury planning board docs, but currently, there’s nothing there.
https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

They are usually posted the Friday before, which would be January 2. I don't know if City offices are closed Friday, so if they have normal hours on Friday, I expect to see the TIF application then.

By the way, I am personally really excited to see this proposal. I hope it kicks off the new year of development in Omaha on a high note. An 8 story twin like the one in Lincoln would be mid in my mind. I am optimistic though that they are going all in on this lot and will sell the lot they purchased previously, hopefully meaning this is a hotel built atop a multilevel parking garage. If Drury (1.5 acres) has 100+ more rooms than the Old Market Hyatt Place (.6 acres), I am hoping for something at least that height. If for some reason they keep the other lot for parking, I will be extremely disappointed.

[nebport5]

Looks like the TIF for the proposed Drury Hotel is on the agenda for the January Planning Board Meeting. The documents haven't been uploaded yet though.

Well they are certainly moving quick. Thinking they might get docs posted a little early this week with the holiday but should know more about the design/scale soon enough.

I found the January 2006 planning board agenda items on the planning board map, but they haven’t updated their website to support filtering 2026.

Here is the link for the Drury planning board docs, but currently, there’s nothing there.
https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

They are usually posted the Friday before, which would be January 2. I don't know if City offices are closed Friday, so if they have normal hours on Friday, I expect to see the TIF application then.

By the way, I am personally really excited to see this proposal. I hope it kicks off the new year of development in Omaha on a high note. An 8 story twin like the one in Lincoln would be mid in my mind. I am optimistic though that they are going all in on this lot and will sell the lot they purchased previously, hopefully meaning this is a hotel built atop a multilevel parking garage. If Drury (1.5 acres) has 100+ more rooms than the Old Market Hyatt Place (.6 acres), I am hoping for something at least that height. If for some reason they keep the other lot for parking, I will be extremely disappointed.

Given Drury’s track record it’s hard to get excited. Their best looking hotels are adaptive reuse. I’m hoping more for something Old Market brick-like more than something tall with the typical ugly white facade.

[ita]

Given Drury’s track record it’s hard to get excited. Their best looking hotels are adaptive reuse. I’m hoping more for something Old Market brick-like more than something tall with the typical ugly white facade.

That's fair. If they did something like the Moxy, I would be less disappointed if it was 'only' 8 stories like their Lincoln one.

[nebport5]

Given Drury’s track record it’s hard to get excited. Their best looking hotels are adaptive reuse. I’m hoping more for something Old Market brick-like more than something tall with the typical ugly white facade.

That's fair. If they did something like the Moxy, I would be less disappointed if it was 'only' 8 stories like their Lincoln one.

This is their Broadview Hotel in Wichita. It’s a historic building but so I wouldn’t expect anything this good looking but I love that they kept the retro signage on top of the building. Moxy-like brick and the roof top sign could fit nicely here.

[skinzfan23]

Imagine if we actually had some of the old Jobbers Canyon buildings that they could repurpose.

[nebport5]

Imagine if we actually had some of the old Jobbers Canyon buildings that they could repurpose.

Yeah…

trying to stay positive. The best I can think is The Central Supply Building is for sale.

[bldgengineer2015]

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

Unfortunately it looks to be the 8 story option.

[Garrett]

Womp womp

[bldgengineer2015]

One potential bright spot.

"ANALYSIS: The project owners/developers are working with the TIF Committee to provide a
hotel project that meets the requirements of the City’s downtown hotel policy. The TIF
Committee has not yet voted on this project’s TIF application."

[iamjacobm]

Not much for height but I don't mind the look of it if the materials are quality should look decent. Could have done without the ~30 surface stalls.

It is pretty much the scale that was shown in the early conceptual images.

[skinzfan23]

Wish it would have been more in line of height with Hyatt Place. I love seeing something developed on this land but wonder if we could do better.

[skinzfan23]

The view from 10th St looks pretty bland...I am happy to have another hotel chain in the Omaha metro, but hopefully they are required to make some modifications.

[iamjacobm]

Full TIF App with a few additional details and renderings.

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... for_PB.pdf

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I appreciate that there will be only 166 parking spaces for the 210 rooms, which is below the typical 1:1 ratio and indicates they expect a lot of guests to arrive without a car or park elsewhere.

I wish they would fill the space that fronts 10th Street with a coffee shop or restaurant or something that is accessible both within the hotel and from the outside to put a little activity there.

[Mjs5050ss]

I swear to god this better be above 10 stories.

You'll take 8 and you'll like it!

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

[Linkin5]

The design and height is bad. Additionally I feel like we’re going to get another punch in the gut with Drury using the 10th and Harney parcel as their parking lot.

[nebport5]

So much for ConAgra via Hines creating some premiere development. If you compare other Drury new construction this design is average on that scale. Given the location and adjacent surroundings it’s a turd. There’s no way I believe this to be a TIF dependent project. If we’re going to award TIF at least give us a classier neighborhood cohesive design. Light brick and white masonry against their trademark hooker red signage is fine adjacent to the average overpass off ramp but not at 10th and Harney.

[Doctor Fate]

So there’s no ground level retail or restaurants?

[nebport5]

So there’s no ground level retail or restaurants?

If you look at the second posted planning doc link it shows “optional future restaurant development" on the backside.

[Huskerbum]

Just more disappointment…

[Cermak]

I’m indifferent on it, it could be worse. I like the fact we are losing a parking lot in a high profile location and gaining 200 hotel rooms downtown.

[Linkin5]

I’m indifferent on it, it could be worse. I like the fact we are losing a parking lot in a high profile location and gaining 200 hotel rooms downtown.

Well, losing a green space in a high profile location.

[GenX]

I swear to god this better be above 10 stories.

You'll take 8 and you'll like it!

https://planning.cityofomaha.org/images ... ary/04.pdf

The way they have those squares spanning two rows and windows, it looks like an enlarged typical 4-story hotel. To be fair, Embassy Suites kinda does the same thing, so maybe they’re referencing both that and the converted warehouse aesthetic? Either way, I’d like to see them take another crack at it, maybe add a couple stories and add ground floor retail.

[OmahaJaysCU]

This is almost exactly what was master planned for this lot and looks better than a lot of the designs shared from other markets. In fact, I’d say the materials look to blend well with the Mercantile building.

Is it an A+? Of course not, but it’s another piece of the puzzle on what was once unutilized green space. It’s an almost $50 million project. Good win for downtown.

[OmahaOmaha]

I find it comical how so many of you bash Drury for their hotel design when most of you don’t have the funds to build a two story Motel 6.