Aksarben Village (67th & Center)

[MTO]

Awesome I’m so excited specially sense this is in my own back yard and not 290th and maple or something.

[almighty_tuna]

*At 7-times the size of Cabela's parking lot, its...Aksarben Village*

[MTO]

they need a lot of room for them big dually diesels..

[OurDecay]

Just found this forum by accident....very cool!

Anyway, I can tell you that there will be buildings up, maybe sooner than you think. I can say with almost certainty that some of the buildings in the project will be occupied and up and running within 2 years. Not necessarily the residential portion of the project though - don't know about those.

I am very jazzed about what I'm seeing thus far about this area. Considering this area will be the home of my new office building, I've obviously got some vested interest!

One of the biggest challenges is giving the commercial district distinctly different looks from building to building....as a result, some of the buildings are looking better than others. More a matter of personal preference I suppose. There will be a sort of "landmark" building though...and that thing is looking pretty awesome per the most recent renderings.

[adam186]

"Landmark"? Could you please describe what've you seen? You've been very informative and glad you found our little community on accident.

Welcome to the forum!

[eomaha]

Given DLR Group is purportedly relocating to Aksarben Village ... I'd put money on their building being a 'landmark' one (at least from a design standpoint).

And welcome to the forum Decay.

[OurDecay]

Well, our office building was not the one I am speaking of...it will be next to the main intersection (and building in question).

The "landmark" building (just my opinion on that) has the premiere spot in the village. The most current renderings are pretty bold - lots of glass and exposed steel, with a significant overhang. In a land of pretty prime real estate...its "the" spot...hence why an A/E firm doesn't get it. The main intersection at this point would be pretty elaborate...brick walkways, roundish and very open. It should be a gathering area I'd think.

With the proximity to college campus(es), I could see this as a place that would really be bustling at night...depending on what kind of tenants end up going there. I would expect some high-end restaurants and the like as well.

It really is a challenge for a single design firm to come up with distinctive looks for multiple buildings, but I've been impressed with the designers so far. It should be an architecturally interesting part of the city.

Of course, my commute is about to get 10 minutes longer, but I suppose I'll manage.

[midtown charlie]

There are two things that everyone should read.


First Noddles partner in crime is Urban Design Associates. http://www.urbandesignassociates.com/

Can't find anything on their site about this though. They seem to know what they are doing. Maybe some of you internet snoops can find something of value.

Second if you haven't already read the minutes from the May 9th City Council Meeting that approved this it is great reading. Hoepfully this will work. I had to print this thing out to read it but it is the master plan for what they are planning to do. Very I mean Very cool. I getting more and more stoked about this.

http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/departments/c ... g/422a.pdf


P.S. the master plan starts on page 16 and goes through page 55.

[midtown charlie]

They really seem to get it. Not only will Aksarven Village itself have design guildlines so will Chili Greens, the old trailer court property south of center as well as land UNO owns north of Pacific. Smart. I was hoping that this would not look like some grand version of Village Point and it appears that it won't at all. It should blend very well with the city around it and increase those property values dramatically.

[eomaha]

Keeping in mind this is just a 'master plan' (anyone remember what the Legacy master plan looked like? http://www.eomaha.com/gallery/develop/14/pic1.jpg )... but exciting nonetheless.

I pulled out a few renderings from the .pdf (by the way, thanks for sharing this Charlie)...

[midtown charlie]

True, but Legacy never got as specific as this does in regards to how this will lay out.

onstreet parking on Center St. and most streets throughout the development.
It is tied directly to the neighborhood to the east.
Loading docs, garages etc... feed from service roads and not from the main streets.
Parking is hidden behind the buildings.
Adjacent developments near Ak Village will be strongly encouraged to blend in with this development.

It's the specific development details that excite me more so than the potential building ideas themselves. This is how they used to build neighborhoods and should again. Based on what I see on U.D.A.'s website, I doubt they would be involved if this was going to end up like Legacy or Village Pointe. I don't think I read one thing on this master plan that I would change.....well....except no mention of mass transit. I doubt it would be hard to add it in later though. I hope this is so successful that is spurs more of these and maybe even fix the wrongs of Village Pointe. I guess we will see over time.

[midtown charlie]

Note the 3rd to last picture. That is the Intersection of 67th and Center Streets. This illustrates that this is not just about Aksarben Village specifically. Anything across Center St. would not technically be part of Ak Village but would look like it was. I remember the developer who bought the trailer park said his development would be mixed use. Here's hoping that it will tie in like the master plan suggests. If the city widens Center St. so that it includes a tree lined median and places for parallel street parking then I would have to believe that this other development is going to blend.

[the1wags]

Wow, thats what I'm talking about there. Looks really nice, very urban with some real density. The hidden parking is great. I think this is going to be a very happening place in a few years.

[OmahaJaysCU]

Don't want to burst any of the bubbles of the height obsessed, but point a on page 11 of that document says "height limit shall be 100 feet."

Also, looking at the site plan closely, it says "Center street frontage will be up to 4 stories while the 67th street frontage will contain buildings up to 6 stories. Small variations in building height is strongly encouraged on any given block face."

DTO, don't read this next one...
"but in no case may a building exceed 85 feet in total height."

Someone earlier mentioned center street, it will have a grassy tree lined median and buildings fronting it on both sides, according to the plan.



This is actually an immage of center street.

67th street will have diagonal street parking

[OmahaJaysCU]

While reading over this pdf, this is still one kick |expletive| project! I'm willing to say this is the most exciting development in the city right now!

[Big E]

85 feet is WAY high for a densely built urban neighborhood.

In the historic neighborhoods of Baltimore, there is barely anything reaching 40 ft (maybe some banks and churches). But once you move all that development up to the sidewalk and only have a two or three lane street out front, you have the impression of some incredible density.

If this thing follows plan, it will be plenty nice! I look forward to the Old Market/Midtown/AkVillage streetcar route one of these days!

-Big E

[eomaha]

I agree... pedestrian friendly is the priority here... not skyline.

[adam186]

Ya, I would rather have a dense urban area that's pedestrian friendly in this location rather than a few towers on acreages(sp?).

[MTO]

i would take the few tower and have other developers put stuff around them

[adam186]

I'd rather have the towers DT on an empty lot.

[MTO]

in a perfect world

[eomaha]

have other developers put stuff around them

What other developers?

[MTO]

in a perfect world

[midtown charlie]

Additional data on the subject from DLR Group.
Not sure how much of this is actually new to any of us.

Phase I is approximately three square blocks that will have two- to four-story multi-use buildings with retail/service tenants at street level, offices on intermediate floors and housing on upper level(s) in select locations.

http://www.dlrgroupcorporate.com/corpor ... sarben.htm

[midtown charlie]

Additional drawing of a building from the Noddle Website.


oh yeah and I highly doubt they are actually opening up a Capitol Grille.


http://www.noddlecompanies.com/_propert ... rty_id=146

[MTO]

Thats a lot of glass but I think I like it and it sure beats 1 or 2 floors any-day.

[djc311]

Where do you get trees or seeds that grow into large gumdrops? I haven't seen those at Home Depot before

[MTO]

haha they would look realy good next to the pink trees they are planting at RFP

[Big E]

I'm fairly partial to the translucent lavender.

-Big E

[midtown charlie]

Same place you get glass sidewalks.

[j4nu]

This project seems like it could have been influenced by KC's Country Club Plaza. In open space at the entrance with the large momument (would be a fountain in CCP) and the interior parking with building all around. The height and scale of the building is different as is the architecture but I just see some similarities. Hopefully this project will have half the success that area does.

[Harpoon]

Where do you get trees or seeds that grow into large gumdrops? I haven't seen those at Home Depot before

Yeah, I wouldn't say that drawing was very impressive. These days with all the computer drawing, much of the artistry has been lost from the architecture profession.

[midtown charlie]

Here are some more links and tidbits courtesy Noddle's website.


http://www.noddlecompanies.com/_new/pro ... =NE&id=146

Here are some additional conceptual pics.








Here is link from which they came.


http://www.noddlecompanies.com/_new/newProjects.php

[eomaha]

Thanks for sharing these Charlie.

The designs are looking little 'First National Business Parkish'... but all I really care about is how the structures front the street/place parking/etc.

[midtown charlie]

I guess I am a little unimpressed with most of the drawings that I have seen so far (from a architecture perspective). Oh course gum drop trees aside. I am concerned that all the glass and steel will reduce the feel of walkability. It's a bit intimidating to walk next to windows you can't see in when you know people can see out. Not a big deal but just part of an overall affect that might reduce the walkability of the neighborhood.

[omahastylee459]

anyone hear anything new on this? I was hoping things would start in spring 06, that passed and then i put my bets on summer 06, and now that is rapidly coming to an end. Whats the deal? Im getting impatient!

[Brad]

The city is either in the process of or just approved the Plat, which is very important before they can build.

[Bellevue Kid]

Channel 6 had a story about it today at four, and it was mostly this lady complaining about sand, gravel, and dust getting into her car and she wanted to know what was going on. I think they said construction should start in the spring.

[midtown charlie]

Update:

See attached city council agenda from this week.

http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/departments/c ... sc/997.pdf

One big Highlight:

The project cost is approximately $174,417,000 to be constructed in phases with the first phase funded initially in part with TIF funds.

I would add more in but for some reason I can't cut and paste from Adobe to this. Basically it is still on track and there is a ton of new information. I think there are a bunch of new views but I could be wrong. Still looks as cool as it did the day they first showed pics.


EDIT: Timelines and costs have been added. Very cool. 2006 -2008 is the first Construction phase and 2011-2013 is the last phase of construction

[midtown charlie]

One other thing from the Agenda.


http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/departments/c ... /1089a.pdf