Cabela's site prospects revealed

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:21 am

Omaha World Herald wrote: Cabela's first choice for site known by few

Where does Cabela's want to build?

The answer is a closely held secret in Sarpy County's real estate and development circles.

But a property owner and a real estate agent connected to land off Interstate 80 - at Highway 370 and at Highway 31 - say they have been in contact with Cabela's.

Cabela's representatives said this week that the company has one preferred Sarpy County site but is considering several locations.

Craig Forman, who represents the owners of three parcels totaling 118 acres on the northwest corner of the Highway 31 interchange, said he was told that land is on Cabela's short list of three properties.

Duane Dowd, president of Dowd Grain Co., which owns 148 acres northeast of Highway 370 and Interstate 80 and 200 acres southeast of the interchange, said he has had ongoing, recent discussions with Cabela's.

But neither Dowd nor Forman has a deal, and it's not clear whether other sites are being considered. Dave Roehr, executive vice president for Cabela's, said this week that he couldn't address specific sites.

Cabela's typically builds at Interstate interchanges, hoping to make each store a destination.

If Cabela's were to build in Sarpy County, Roehr said, the store would be modeled after other company sites that encompass 30 to 50 acres. He said easy access, high traffic counts and strong site visibility would be important characteristics.

Cabela's says it has no land under contract. Roehr said land acquisition is in its early stages as Cabela's focuses first on a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that would offer financial incentives for a new store.

If that bill fails, Cabela's interest probably will wane, Roehr said.

Several other property representatives at the Highway 31, Highway 370 and 126th Street interchanges said they have not been in contact with Cabela's. That includes people involved with the Southport project, which plans an Embassy Suites hotel and conference center near La Vista.

Speculation about Cabela's intentions also has stretched to Interstate 80 and Pflug Road in western Sarpy County. Local officials envision a new interchange there, but construction would have to be put in motion if Cabela's commits there.

The Seldin Co., a real estate company from Omaha, owns sizable property in the area.

Randy Lenhoff, Seldin's president, said Friday he couldn't speculate on where Cabela's might locate.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:21 am

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:51 am

I'll say this right now.. 370 would be a mistake. Southpoint would be a mistake too.. I think traffic would be a nightmare trying to get in/out of the place. It needs to be put on the edge of town near hwy 31 where houses aren't surrounding the place yet and access is much better..

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:00 am

I disagree. How much more access do you need? 370 is the future 880... and well there's I-80... complete wth a new interchange.

Southport would be less desirable... but immediately off of I-80 again. And neither one of these locations are surrounded by housing developments (rather ... light industrial).

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:09 pm

jhuston wrote:I disagree. How much more access do you need? 370 is the future 880... and well there's I-80... complete wth a new interchange.

Southport would be less desirable... but immediately off of I-80 again. And neither one of these locations are surrounded by housing developments (rather ... light industrial).

370 is the future 880? Maybe I'm just confused on where this 880 loop will evolve. Anyways, I don't see 370 ever being up to interstate standard.. they had the chance awhile back and they blew it. Even so, who'd want to be coming to this destination with new interchanges/construction going on.. we all know the ongoing problems/headaches that can cause on top of the slow pace that we'd do it at. All I'm saying is that I think you have more to work with at Highway 31.. it's a more desirable location, it's less busy, and there'd be less of a traffic problem. And yes, I-80/370W is becoming a hot development area.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:47 pm

Road intrastructure and retail/residential/office development practically go hand in hand. If anything... it's behind the ball elsewhere. Just look at what is happening at West Dodge and 168th through 204th (ie 6 south). And I certainly didn't see Village Pointe suffering from a significantly more congested situation there. Another case in point... if we were ahead of the game at 114th and West Dodge... we wouldn't be installing the rather unsightly concrete behemoth we are today.

But that's moot... because the work at the 370/I-80 interchange is winding down (certainly will have done for ages by the time a Cabela's store opened the doors). And in case anyone hadn't noticed... the land is already graded as well out there. I'd have to say this location is definitely in the lead in terms of meeting Cabela's two year window.

As for 370 as the future south loop of an '880' (Highway 6 south being the western loop with a Gretna bypass in my estimation)... I'd say it's in a heck of alot better situation than north Omaha was prior to the North Freeway! And certainly no worse than where the 680 stretch stood decades ago. You've already got overpasses going in on both stretches... and plenty of open right of way (84th and 370 being the exception... but certainly looks like a better situation than what was facing the West Dodge Expressway!). Consider a new Missouri River bridge going slightly south of 370 as well. It is all coming together.

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 2:42 pm

what kind of a timeframe are we lookin at here? assuming the bill passes in the legislature.. is 2-4 years a promising bet when it could open? wonder how long we'll have to wait just till we hear if the bill passed. it's funny how we hear about these announcements years in advance only to find out that they won't be built for another 5 yrs. get the bill signed and start building. what happened to simplicity...

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 2:46 pm

I don't know why the store needs a Legislativve Bill to be built. How is that simple.

papiostud · Post by **papiostud** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:27 pm

It looks like to be most off 880 would hafta to be south of 370. You even got the new Papillion HS at 108th and 370. I can't see the HS there bein so close to the interstate there.

KansasCityCraka · Post by **KansasCityCraka** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:08 pm

What else is around that site?

OhioStreetKid · Post by **OhioStreetKid** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:00 pm

Alright, I have to ask a question that has been burning inside me for awhile. Is there any hard evidence to this I-880 loop, or is this some imagination mixed with wishful hoping and thinking? I can honestly say that the the concept of I-880 is interesting, feasible, and needed. Unfortunately, I have never seen any hard evidence to make me think the implementation is in the works. Some on this site have suggest the loop would run along 370 to 31 and northward until heading back east to I-29. My problem with this thinking is that the 275 and 6 interchanges with 31, give the controlled access (ramps and no traffic signals) to 275 and 6. So, if 31 were really going to be part of and interstate system, wouldn't 31 get the controlled access? Take a look at the work and money that had to go into the 31 and 6 interchange, and you'd have to think that if 31 was to be part of a freeway the DOT would have thought far enough ahead not to construct the interchange in that manner.

ajf3223 · Post by **ajf3223** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 1:07 am

Why would highway 370 be I-880? Why wouldn't it just be the rest of the I-680 loop? That would be smarter. That way, if development ever gets down to plattsmouth or so, we would have I-880 to go around that if need be. Probably decades from now.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 1:45 am

880 is just a highly speculative tag. It's certainly not wishful thinking. It could end up being the George W Bush Expressway for all I know.

We're also talking probably 10-20 years out (so that a stop sign controlled over pass at Highway 275 and 6 was put in is hardly significant). But one only need look at the expansive right of ways, large medians which exist in long stretches of south highway 6 and 370 to realize it represents the most feasible path for a metro area beltway. Even through 84th Street (and yes, by Papillion South High School)... there is plenty of land to support access roads running along an expressway.

Now back to Cabela's.

Sodak · Post by **Sodak** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 4:17 pm

I like the Highway 31/Gretna exit. Cabela's could really jumpstart the outlet mall's tenant lineup. The thing I don't like about the 370 exit is the fact that it is industrial and the stretch from 370 to Highway 50 is a hodgpodge of poorly planned industrial and hotel development. Its a mess to look at. I can't picture an entertainment district there.

Of course, when it really comes down to it, I don't care where they build, only that they build it right.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:04 pm

This corner of I-80 and 370 isn't any more industrial than the Gretna exit (consider the massive Flying J). All you have over by the parcel under consideration... is a Volvo truck dealership and some service companies today (ie A/C repair, etc). Very light industrial (probably would fit right in with the Cabela's 'demographic' anyway

I recall a heavy truck dealer over by Worlds of Fun too

)

I'll take either location as well (actually I'd prefer it at South Port).... although you're going to accelerate the sprawl if it's built at the Gretna exit. This would go a long ways towards that 'growing together' of Omaha and Lincoln that so many people want to happen so badly.