Official: Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:02 pm

IowaWest really gives 10-15% of the grants to Nebraska causes? I had no idea it was that high. Flipping through a list of grants awarded, there isn't much more there than a few token Nebraska gestures a year.

I'd bet IowaWest ends up chipping in on the bridge. They may not pay the entire cost gap, but will put a big dent in eliminating it.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:09 pm

What about the Iowa equivalent of our Natural Resources District? The Papio-Missouri NRD is kicking in $1 million. I think the Iowa Conservation Resources District? (or whatever it is called) should match it! That is $1 million. Only $4.3 million left! Now, let's get the Iowa West Foundation and Kiewit Foundation on board!!!!!

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:35 pm

Finn - Iowa isn't set up the same way Nebraska is with Natural Resource Districts that have a taxing authority, so that isn't an option, unfortunately.

DMRyan - prior to 2002, Iowa West was in the 10-15% range (give or take). In 2002, the percentage (and $$$) to NE slipped dramatically with the backing they gave the MAC/Vision Iowa proposal. I would guess that the % the last couple years was a little under 10%, given they contributed to a couple large $ items on the IA side (Bayliss Park being one).

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:09 pm

Check out this story. I CAN'T BELEIVE the survey results though....or maybe I can. No wonder so many people leave this town and slam on it.

http://www.theomahachannel.com/news/4134673/detail.html

OmahaRules · Post by **OmahaRules** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:13 pm

Backwards Nebraska!

nebrwesleyan · Post by **nebrwesleyan** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:19 pm

What is the problem with people in this city. A poll on the omahachannel.com has a majority of people saying that the bridge is a complete waste of money. When are we going to think progressively. We need to have nice things here. I emailed channel 7 and told them to do a story on all the benfits of the project. Come on gees!

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:25 pm

I'm sorry.. but this hardly representative of the overall population of people in Omaha/CB.. only 440 people have voted.. I really wouldn't sweat it.. it will be built.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:19 pm

I am glad to hear of the progress being made, but I hope that it continues to be made. I am from Council Bluffs, and I am sick and tired of Mayor Hanafan. He is never looking for the greatest assets, only looking for what is doable right now. I mean come on you have to dream in order for big things to happen. Money needs to be invested as well as time and effort. This is definitely needed and will be a welcome attraction. I too am willing to donate some money to a public fund if that would help. Please continue to look for a way that this can be made possible.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:36 pm

nebrwesleyan wrote:What is the problem with people in this city. A poll on the omahachannel.com has a majority of people saying that the bridge is a complete waste of money. When are we going to think progressively. We need to have nice things here. I emailed channel 7 and told them to do a story on all the benfits of the project. Come on gees!

LOL

- Channel 7 is probably going to be like - " Who are these bridge freaks? " because I had been in touch with them a few times about a week ago asking them to look into the project status as well. I'll see what they have tonight. I would so much like to see this recent movement be the final push it takes to get things started as I have also inquired into both Fahey and Hanafan's office about the possibility of a public general fund.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:13 pm

I don't know wether or not to be happy or sad about this. I'm sure someone will cough up some money. Its good to hear something though, we haven't heard anything about this in what 8 months?

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:48 am

It is absolutely, positively necessary for this project to get its act together and get built. You know there is no way for a bicyclist or pedestrian to cross from one state to the other in Omaha or CB! Pathetic. In Portland, Oregon there are a dozen or more large bridges that allow commuters to ride a bike or jog or walk into downtown from the east side of town. And thousands of people use those bridges each day on foot, or by bike. Build it and they will use it. It will be Omaha's signature piece or architecture.

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:54 am

This project is very important to cap off the riverfront development. It will be an icon for this city, a recreational mastepiece and as nativeomahan wrote, it will connect the two cities.

Very exciting!

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:59 am

nativeomahan wrote:And thousands of people use those bridges each day on foot, or by bike. Build it and they will use it. It will be Omaha's signature piece or architecture.

Thats just it. The same 50 percent or whatever it was on the Channel 7 poll who said it would be a waste of money are probably going to be the same people who end up using and loving it. I also think that a lot of these people vastly underestimate how much traffic this thing will actually see.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:11 am

Omaha lacks enough visionaries. It's that conservative upbringing. Why buy a buick when a chevy will do? Art is for museums, not public buildings. Why spend 1% more to make a building look attractive when it will cost taxpyer dollars. Blah blah blah. Then what you end up with is a second class city. Or worse. People on this website have the "vision thing." Too many others don't.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:23 am

The same 50 percent or whatever it was on the Channel 7 poll who said it would be a waste of money are probably going to be the same people who end up using and loving it.

I think we'd be surprised at the number of people there are in the suburbs who have never even ventured downtown... save on a school field trip, or an occasional basketball/hockey game (the right back into the car and home again).

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:33 am

It gives me lots of hope to hear Larry Foster speaking about this in that Channel 7 piece. I know he's always been behind it 100%.

And, I really don't think people realize the potential this thing has as an icon for the city. Once that thing is up, Omaha will be in a whole new era.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:45 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote: Once that thing is up, Omaha will be in a whole new era.

So true

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:59 am

omahahawk wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote: Once that thing is up, Omaha will be in a whole new era.

So true

Agreed.

OmahaRules · Post by **OmahaRules** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:22 am

Why don't we get Buffett to donate some money? Oh wait Buffett donate that doesn't happen too often!

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:23 am

OmahaRules wrote:Why don't we get Buffett to donate some money? Oh wait Buffett donate that doesn't happen too often!

He didn't become the second richest man in the world by donating money!

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:48 am

Following Susan's death... the Buffett Foundation is now one of the three largest philanthropic organizations in the world. Of course they're focusing on larger issues than a pedestrian bridge (like world population control and nuclear arms reductions).

Hopefully the community as a whole can come together to make this happen, perhaps anchored by a few of our other prominent philanthropists.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:56 am

jhuston wrote:Following Susan's death... the Buffett Foundation is now one of the three largest philanthropic organizations in the world. Of course they're focusing on larger issues than a pedestrian bridge (like world population control and nuclear arms reductions).

Hopefully the community as a whole can come together to make this happen, perhaps anchored by a few of our other prominent philanthropists.

There you go again, bringing in your "reality" and your "facts!"

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:08 pm

Getting back to the private citizen fundraising issue, let's just assume 1% of the metro pop. would donate to such a fund (and to make the math easier, let's just round that metro pop up to 1,000,000), and of that 10,000 donations, let's assume 1 benefactor @ $1,000,000, 5 @ $100,000, 10 @ $10,000, 100 @ $1,000, 1000 @ $100, and the remainder at $10, that totals nearly $1.9 million. That would knock a huge chunk off the $5+ million needed. And that's a fairly conservative estimate of donors (other than finding that 1 major, major benefactor).

I certainly hope that Fahey and Hanafan get something set up for us "ordinary citizens", because we can, collectively, knock quite a bit off the needed schmoozing of the big foundations and groups.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:28 pm

Right on. All they need to do is go public through official sources with an address to send a check to and it would no doubt be a big help....at least I hope.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:03 pm

After coming home the other night an 'enduring' another drive along I-80... I spat off the following to the Public Pulse...

----
I have a solution to the $5.3 million shortfall sitting between
our building or not building the Missouri River pedestrian
bridge. Let's tap Union Pacific for whatever donations cannot come up
with. They are reportedly earning $42 million a year from the
billboards it gladly agreed to 'host' throughout the nation, and single
handedly contributing to what must be one of the ugliest drives through
our metro along interstate 80. It's only fair that UP take a tiny
portion of that windfall, which came at our 'expense', and dedicate
it towards building this beautiful marquee for Omaha downtown.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:04 pm

After coming home the other night an 'enduring' another drive along I-80... I spat off the following to the Public Pulse...

----
I have a solution to the $5.3 million shortfall sitting between
our building or not building the Missouri River pedestrian
bridge. Let's tap Union Pacific for whatever donations cannot come up
with. They are reportedly earning $42 million a year from the
billboards it gladly agreed to 'host' throughout the nation, and single
handedly contributing to what must be one of the ugliest drives through
our metro along interstate 80. It's only fair that UP take a tiny
portion of that windfall, which came at our 'expense', and dedicate
it towards building this beautiful marquee for Omaha downtown.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:14 pm

jhuston wrote:After coming home the other night an 'enduring' another drive along I-80... I spat off the following to the Public Pulse...

----
I have a solution to the $5.3 million shortfall sitting between
our building or not building the Missouri River pedestrian
bridge. Let's tap Union Pacific for whatever donations cannot come up
with. They are reportedly earning $42 million a year from the
billboards it gladly agreed to 'host' throughout the nation, and single
handedly contributing to what must be one of the ugliest drives through
our metro along interstate 80. It's only fair that UP take a tiny
portion of that windfall, which came at our 'expense', and dedicate
it towards building this beautiful marquee for Omaha downtown.

What billboards?

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:18 pm

Where have you been?

redfield · Post by **redfield** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:09 pm

Is it just me, or is it a bit curious, the timing of these billboards in relation to the approval of Omaha by Designs goals.

It almost seems as though they were thinking this is their last chance to add any, so they quickly snuck in a whole bunch of them on the most important stretch of interstate in Omaha.

For what it's worth, I don't really think they take anything away from what was already an ugly stretch of road, but I still think that a good job of landscaping could salvage it, with or without the signs.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:17 pm

I don't think it took anything away either... it ADDED to it.

I'm sure landscaping could go a long ways toward improving the situation... but the density of these signs is ridiculous nonetheless (have to love Lamar's... "Omaha is growing. We are TOO!" <bah>)

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:19 pm

Where are these? I drive on 1-80 at least 4 times a week, but I've never noticed these before.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:34 pm

And no doubt you're a much safer driver for it.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:31 am

Swift wrote:Where are these? I drive on 1-80 at least 4 times a week, but I've never noticed these before.

Wow!

They are on the south side of the freeway between 84th and 680. On my way home from work this morning I also saw another billboard getting ready to be erected immediately north of the onramp at 13th and 480 downtown. Also disappointing.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 6:41 pm

OWH Public Pulse wrote:Bridge isn't wanted

I am positive that Omaha is home to many private sources that contribute to needed or wanted projects. Building this walking bridge to Council Bluffs would be like throwing their money away if they were to contribute to its construction.

I have talked to many people since this project was first mentioned and so far have found no one who would walk across the bridge. Many of the waterfront businesses are needed, and it is an attractive area now. Can't Omaha and Council Bluffs find another project worthy of this cost?

This bridge could create a new crime area. Who is going to protect anyone walking on it?

Once again this is just another project put together by politicians without any input from either city's citizens. Wake up, Mayor Fahey, and ask the people if they truly want this bridge.
Barbara Husebo, Omaha

Pathetic.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 6:49 pm

I remember reading the old OWH forums when this bridge was very first announced. People were worried about suicide jumpers and rowdy teenagers throwing people off of the bridges.

I guess this is the era of conservatism, paranoia and security moms we live in, despite how silly it sounds to us. Sorry Guy4Omaha, it's a liberal world on this site.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:54 pm

Open letter to Barbara Husebo:

Gee, Thanks for turning back Omaha's clock to 1980.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:29 pm

almighty_tuna wrote:
OWH Public Pulse wrote:Bridge isn't wanted

I am positive that Omaha is home to many private sources that contribute to needed or wanted projects. Building this walking bridge to Council Bluffs would be like throwing their money away if they were to contribute to its construction.

I have talked to many people since this project was first mentioned and so far have found no one who would walk across the bridge. Many of the waterfront businesses are needed, and it is an attractive area now. Can't Omaha and Council Bluffs find another project worthy of this cost?

This bridge could create a new crime area. Who is going to protect anyone walking on it?

Once again this is just another project put together by politicians without any input from either city's citizens. Wake up, Mayor Fahey, and ask the people if they truly want this bridge.
Barbara Husebo, Omaha

Pathetic.

Not just pathetic, but purely ignorant, like a good many people on this project who have no grasp of the reality on the limitations on the spending of this money.

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:04 am

You just have to shrug off people like that.. I don't understand their thinking. Crime?..on what will most likely be a busy and lit up bridge/area?
I'm not buying it. I don't know what'll be on the Bluffs side yet, but if it's as lit up as I imagine it to be.. I really see nothing to be worried about. If anyone's to be worried.. it's gonna be the person trying to commit the crime. And worrying about idiots jumping off the bridge?!.. my answer to that is why are we making this a bigger issue than it really is. If someone wants to commit suicide they'll find a way to do it. Has there actually been an article yet written in the Public Pulse about someone wanting to get this thing built? Or will the OWH only print the negatives.

I also saw in the Pulse today that quoted someone as saying this was the dumbest idea she's ever heard of(building the bridge). You look at comments like that and you're just left in utter amazement.. find a local doctor people. Maybe it's just that they're completely naive to what this can do for a city..

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:53 am

We should all right in to the public pulse. Seriously. We should all write one letter weekly and they are bound to publish at least a few of them.