Brothers Lounge Sinkhole (3812 Farnam Street)

[Brad]

Not good. 2 block work of streetcar all drained in to this basement.

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[locoluke]

Picture of 3812 Farnam from Facebook:

[Jins123]

Not good. 2 block work of streetcar all drained in to this basement.

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Oof! Not good is right!

[OmahaFan]

Wonder how this happened

[Brad]

Wonder how this happened

I posted my photo the streetcar thread, but basically all the water from the streetcar excavation ran to the low point, which happened to be in front of that building. You’re basically talking a 25 or more foot wide cut, two or three city blocks long collecting a rainfall of anywhere between 2 and 4 inches… That’s a |expletive| ton of water in a short time. If you go to the west about a block and look towards the building, you could see where the water ran downhill and right to the building.

[stadsborgare]

Wonder how this happened

I posted my photo the streetcar thread, but basically all the water from the streetcar excavation ran to the low point, which happened to be in front of that building. You’re basically talking a 25 or more foot wide cut, two or three city blocks long collecting a rainfall of anywhere between 2 and 4 inches… That’s a |expletive| ton of water in a short time. If you go to the west about a block and look towards the building, you could see where the water ran downhill and right to the building.

Thank you for the info, Brad.

Boy, the streetcar haters are all having a field day with this and anything else negative they can glam onto. But thankfully, they can't stop it.

[OmahaFan]

Wonder how this happened

I posted my photo the streetcar thread, but basically all the water from the streetcar excavation ran to the low point, which happened to be in front of that building. You’re basically talking a 25 or more foot wide cut, two or three city blocks long collecting a rainfall of anywhere between 2 and 4 inches… That’s a |expletive| ton of water in a short time. If you go to the west about a block and look towards the building, you could see where the water ran downhill and right to the building.

I had a gut feeling that is what happened. Thinking the building needs to be torn down and another building put there. Obviously it’s structurally compromised I think.

[Brad]

Here is a shot i took looking east. Sorry its a crappy cell phone photo.

You can clearly see where all the water was flowing right towards the building. I did a quick measurement on a map and it looks to be about a 1 acre area draining to this spot.

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[schumatt]

Boy, the streetcar haters are all having a field day with this and anything else negative they can glam onto. But thankfully, they can't stop it.

A lot of the “streetcar haters” aren’t against the streetcar itself. The hate is toward the absolute pisspoor planning, coordination, and communication from the city, coupled with the inadequate response to the impact construction has had on residents and businesses along the streetcar corridor.

The city seems unable to coordinate multiple projects at once, so we still have a sinkhole on 16th between Farnam and Harney that hasn’t been fixed over a year later. I’m sure the Blackstone sinkhole will get fixed sooner than the 16th St. one, since this new one will seriously impede the streetcar project.

Also, the phrase you’re looking for is “glom onto” not “glam onto.”

[Brad]

I also don't think the condition of the building did it any favors either. Look at all the holes in the right where the building meets the sidewalk. I wonder how much water had gotten in there over the years and what kind of damaged it caused before last night?

All images from Google Street View.

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[GenX]

I’m assuming all the mud and water flowed through the structure. Is there any damage to the north side of the building?

[Brad]

I’m assuming all the mud and water flowed through the structure. Is there any damage to the north side of the building?

Someone said there was a hole in the back wall, but I didn't go around back.

[omaha79]

this is a guaranteed tear down at this point.

[BuildTaller]

this is a guaranteed tear down at this point.

It will be the first 3/1 or 4/1 I'd be happy for.

[Big E]

Someone said there was a hole in the back wall, but I didn't go around back.

She always needs a few drinks first.

[Cermak]

The third sinkhole now in the past year or so. Makes you wonder how many more are out there.

[Garrett]

The third sinkhole now in the past year or so. Makes you wonder how many more are out there.

This wasn't a true sinkhole, the basement just collapsed.

[Brad]

The third sinkhole now in the past year or so. Makes you wonder how many more are out there.

This wasn't a true sinkhole, the basement just collapsed.

If you don't call this one a sinkhole, you really can't call the other two sink holes either. 16th street was also a foundation issue and Aksarben was a broken water main on top of a storm culvert. All three were caused by water going where water was not intended to go.

[nebport5]

Boy, the streetcar haters are all having a field day with this and anything else negative they can glam onto. But thankfully, they can't stop it.

A lot of the “streetcar haters” aren’t against the streetcar itself. The hate is toward the absolute pisspoor planning, coordination, and communication from the city, coupled with the inadequate response to the impact construction has had on residents and businesses along the streetcar corridor.

The city seems unable to coordinate multiple projects at once, so we still have a sinkhole on 16th between Farnam and Harney that hasn’t been fixed over a year later. I’m sure the Blackstone sinkhole will get fixed sooner than the 16th St. one, since this new one will seriously impede the streetcar project.

Those are some rosie tinted glasses you're looking through. Maybe that p.o.v. is consistent with many people who actually live and work along the streetcar route. However, unless you don't spend any time on Facebook or Reddit(to your credit), I guess you'd miss the vitriolic refrains of;

-"Nobody asked for this!"

-"Boondoggle!"

-"It's a vanity project"

-"This has nothing to do with my car, fix the roads!"


An awful lot of these people seem to be fundamentally against it.



Also comparing the 16th St hole to the others is incongruent since that one is tied up by a lawsuit regarding property obligations. The city was on top of the Pacific St one right away and its no where near the streetcar line.

[windsor]

Nothing surprising in this day and age. Brothers Lounge went out of business nearly 5 years ago. Yet today, they decided to fire up their old dormant Facebook page to play victim to the Omaha Streetcar.

[Jins123]

Nothing surprising in this day and age. Brothers Lounge went out of business nearly 5 years ago. Yet today, they decided to fire up their old dormant Facebook page to play victim to the Omaha Streetcar.

What a laughable post! Inept city contractors played a part. I hope Brothers gets every penny from these morons

[WiinterU]

Is the building at the site of the sinkhole still standing?

[omaha79]

Nothing surprising in this day and age. Brothers Lounge went out of business nearly 5 years ago. Yet today, they decided to fire up their old dormant Facebook page to play victim to the Omaha Streetcar.

What a laughable post! Inept city contractors played a part. I hope Brothers gets every penny from these morons

Agree. I hope they get everything that they deserved. Yes, the bar was closed. I had been told the owners had already sold, but it sounds like they were waiting or playing the long game until the street car was done as the value would go up. No one was opening new businesses in that area right now because it's a mess.

Clearly the contractors haven't been doing the right things or monitoring the situation correctly in terms of water drainage, etc. Water was pooling there for months in the spring and summer storm season. The City of Omaha has gone out of its way to somewhat disavow responsibility in their press events.

I hope they take the city to the cleaners.

[nebport5]

Omaha officials say surrounding buildings safe, stable near Blackstone streetcar construction

After listening to the press conference I expect this building to be torn down.

[omaha79]

Omaha officials say surrounding buildings safe, stable near Blackstone streetcar construction

After listening to the press conference I expect this building to be torn down.

well, hopefully the city of Omaha (and the taxpayers) get to build the owners of the building a nice new building they can then sell.

We broke it, we bought it.

[nebport5]

Omaha officials say surrounding buildings safe, stable near Blackstone streetcar construction

After listening to the press conference I expect this building to be torn down.

well, hopefully the city of Omaha (and the taxpayers) get to build the owners of the building a nice new building they can then sell.

We broke it, we bought it.

I doubt that. The city isn't taking blame so it'll probably end up in court. The owners best play may be to just sell the land vs seeking a rebuild.

[nebugeater]

There is a good chance that the building's condition contributed to the loss. I get that water flow can be focused, but the building on either side did not have the same results.

[nebport5]

There is a good chance that the building's condition contributed to the loss. I get that water flow can be focused, but the building on either side did not have the same results.

Exactly. It may be hard to prove the city is solely liable.

[locoluke]

There is a good chance that the building's condition contributed to the loss. I get that water flow can be focused, but the building on either side did not have the same results.

Exactly. It may be hard to prove the city is solely liable.

+1

It’s the Swiss cheese model of risk mitigation. Engineering problems are seldom black and white.

[OverlookedFarm]

How much TIF is up for the grift if it gets torn down?

[Garrett]

How much TIF is up for the grift if it gets torn down?

|expletive| people who don't know how TIF works say:

[OverlookedFarm]

How much TIF is up for the grift if it gets torn down?

|expletive| people who don't know how TIF works say:

For posterity.

[Garrett]

How much TIF is up for the grift if it gets torn down?

|expletive| people who don't know how TIF works say:

For posterity.

lol what

[nebport5]

City will cover cost to repair or demolish partially collapsed building along Omaha streetcar route

The city of Omaha will cover the cost of demolishing or repairing a building along the streetcar route that partially collapsed in June.

It’s now up to the owners of the vacant structure in Blackstone whether to demolish or repair the structure.

“The sooner they make that decision, the sooner we can get this wrapped up,” Jensen said. “Eventually it will impact the (streetcar) schedule, but it isn’t for now.

[skinzfan23]

If thats the case, I wish they would make a decision rather than calling out the city on Facebook, to which all the comments complain about the streetcar. I am getting so sick of business owners blaming the streetcar for everything. They finally have a scapegoat to poorly run businesses and they are using it to their fullest.

[Louie]

If thats the case, I wish they would make a decision rather than calling out the city on Facebook, to which all the comments complain about the streetcar. I am getting so sick of business owners blaming the streetcar for everything. They finally have a scapegoat to poorly run businesses and they are using it to their fullest.

Agreed, they are just fanning the flames at this point.

[Jins123]

If thats the case, I wish they would make a decision rather than calling out the city on Facebook, to which all the comments complain about the streetcar. I am getting so sick of business owners blaming the streetcar for everything. They finally have a scapegoat to poorly run businesses and they are using it to their fullest.

But multiple businesses have had to say online they’re closed because MUD and city contractors cut their water off without giving notice. Mix that with poor construction planning and it really is the street cars fault. It’s been a horrible HORRIBLE planning by the city and these streetcar officials. I don’t get “fanning the flames” talk here.

Most of these businesses aren’t anti street car, just anti incompetent city planning/contractors

[nebugeater]

If thats the case, I wish they would make a decision rather than calling out the city on Facebook, to which all the comments complain about the streetcar. I am getting so sick of business owners blaming the streetcar for everything. They finally have a scapegoat to poorly run businesses and they are using it to their fullest.

All I will say is WOW

This trash the businesses is worse than the businesses speaking out. Many of them have been around for a long time leading to my belief that they are far from poorly run.

[Louie]

Brothers closed amidst the revival of Blackstone wayyyy pre-streetcar. They were clearly not running the business well. And this is coming from a frequent patron.

[NEDodger]

If thats the case, I wish they would make a decision rather than calling out the city on Facebook, to which all the comments complain about the streetcar. I am getting so sick of business owners blaming the streetcar for everything. They finally have a scapegoat to poorly run businesses and they are using it to their fullest.

All I will say is WOW

This trash the businesses is worse than the businesses speaking out. Many of them have been around for a long time leading to my belief that they are far from poorly run.

Agreed. I’m sure it’s just coincidence that all of these business declines magically coincided with streetcar construction. Blaming the streetcar for everything is no worse than treating the streetcar as zero-fault and completely incapable of any possibility of criticism.