More on Pacific Life

Asten · Post by **Asten** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:36 am

Coyote wrote:My guess is that DTO is talking about the lot just to the east of the UP Garage

Ooh, Ooh. I know. OmahaPark 19?

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:35 am

From the prospects of that map, it's as if our "early 2000s" boom is just moving up a block.

2000-2005: FNC, UPC, HPAC... in a row West to East.

Prospects: WTO, PacLife, CRTTEOTUPPL (Criptic Rumor To The East Of The Union Pacific Parking Lot)... in a row West to East, just one block north.

D'Shawn, this is certainly very exciting, but you seem to be throwing a lot of gasoline on the fire and giving us all nerdy-urban-development-blue-balls without divulging any specifics or facts or sources (assuming there are any). Your time frame for an announcement is "a year or two"? Come on man! You're killin' me

.

Can you tell us anything more about that HUGE lot THAT'S BEEN BEGGING FOR DEVELOPMENT FOR YEARS east of the UP garage???

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:04 am

Everything posted here is pretty much speculation..Thus why it's found in the rumors forum..

Keeping this in mind, it's always fun to speculate..

If DTO Luv turns out to be correct in his ascertions here, we can send him a highrise box of chocolates..

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:18 am

Special ordered from Omaha Chocolates no doubt.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:35 am

Exactly!..

Anything else just woudn't be natural..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:33 am

First off, sorry for posting as a guest on this one. I post here very regularly but cannot in this thread. My "significant other" works at PL. We just couldn’t sit back and not weigh in on this any more. I know that on occasion people from PL look at this board. While my SO in not in a place to know specifics they feel that they do know enough to know the PL move to Omaha at any level more than they are already are is highly unlikely. The rumor has been addressed and dismissed by management. (I know this doesn't mean a lot) Some work that was brought to Omaha and set up to be Omaha work is now being trained in CA to be done there. The building in CA that was mentioned here by someone is in fact taking place. There have been a few people that relocated from CA that are now relocating BACK to CA. They have relocated a disaster recovery center here to Omaha and this may have been the root of some rumors but it is here and the FEW jobs tied to it are here too. This came after the initial move. They had trouble getting the few people to relocate to NE that they needed to move what they did here. The chances of them wanting to disrupt things with a large % of new employees is small the way I see it. Sorry if this dampens this rumor. I hope they do add more here as much as anyone, I just don’t think this is it for the new downtown building. Please, PL prove me wrong.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:35 pm

Thanks for the insights..

Indeed you are a forum regular and have made solid posting contributions to this site..

Truth be told, I've never allowed myself to get too excited about the Pac Life rumors that have floated around here for the past year plus..Would I love a significant job move by this company into the Omaha metro? Who wouldn't..That's a no brainer..But I think the prospect of anything significant coming into Omaha from PL in say, the 'moderate future', is less than 50-50 at best in my humble opinion..

In any case, I hope I am proven wrong..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:44 pm

Thanks mystery guest! That is what this section is for - creating rumors and then some pan out and some do not.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:32 pm

jhuston wrote:Did I miss this story? How interesting is this?? You think there's a little Omaha influence with Pac Life? I thought it funny too that Josh mentioned the World Herald block.

John Gottschalk Elected to the Boards of Pacific Mutual Holding Company and Pacific LifeCorp

Newport Beach, CA (July 7, 2006) – It was announced today that John Gottschalk has been elected to serve on the boards of Pacific Mutual Holding Company, the ultimate parent company of Pacific Life Insurance Company, and Pacific LifeCorp, the parent stock holding company of Pacific Life.

Mr. Gottschalk has served as chairman and chief executive officer of the Omaha World-Herald Company since 1989. The Omaha World-Herald Company is comprised of some twenty operating companies (including over 50 newspapers and shoppers), plus internet, direct marketing, and high tech enterprises. The company operates in 26 states with approximately 3,000 employees. He is also the publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, a newspaper with a daily circulation of approximately 250,000 and the only employee-owned metropolitan newspaper in the United States.

Mr. Gottschalk is very active in Nebraska and has been a key figure in Omaha’s $3 billion downtown redevelopment and growth initiative. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Cabela, Inc., a NYSE public company in the sporting equipment and outfitting business, Election Systems and Software, Inc., and the McCarthy Group, Inc., a privately held investment firm managing approximately $500 million.

“Mr. Gottschalk is articulate, thoughtful, and has a broad view of both business and civic activities,” said Thomas C. Sutton, chairman and chief executive officer of Pacific Life. “We welcome him and his experience as he joins our boards.”

Founded in 1868, Pacific Life provides life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans.1 Pacific Life counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S. companies as clients2 and is a member of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA), whose membership promotes high ethical standards for the sale of individual life insurance and annuities.

Can anyone say Conflict of Interest???

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:18 pm

I had a big long post on here but it didn't stick.

I still stand by what I've heard about PacLife moving a large regional office to Omaha. There are too many things out there that point to this being a reality.

- The Chambers apparent involvement reaffirms what I've been hearing. As I said before, the Chamber had a plan that went along with laws passed to lure insurance companies to Nebraska. Bringing in PacLife would be a fulfilment of that goal.

- Many large companies HQd in California are leaving California. The cost of doing business out there, taxes, and regulations are malignant especially to banks and insurance companies. Look around and you'll see that happening already. PacLife moving their tax domicile here. Bank of the West moving it's mortgage HQ here. In Des Moines, Wells Fargo (HQ in San Fran) built a massive regional HQ with thousands of employees. To think PacLife would do the same isn't out of the question.

- John Gottschalk has been a part of many of the recent additions DT. (See list below). He has been pro DT not in just words, but in action. He's spent money and built. Now he suddenly has an entire block of land DT to work with. The OWH mentioned that the site 'could' be home to a new tower. Now let's take a step backwards. David Brown, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, stated earlier this year that there would be another opportunity for DT to 'reach for the sky'. So if putting the head of the Chambers comments about a new building on a site owned by someone who has enough clout to bring a company in that we've heard has already been looking at designs for a building doesn't at least amount to something I don't know what does.

- Big projects take time to plan. I had heard of the Wallstreet Tower when the city was still talking about the UP site being a grass park. I've also heard (last year) that PacLife had already designed a building. Both tower and campus options. The last I heard was a tower.

When the OWH announced they were vacating the block for the Qwest Building the OWH article had more veiled referances to the site being prime for development. It said alot with out really saying anything. It was almost identical in feel to the articles about the possibility of a tower at the UP site when plans were already drawn up months before an announcement was ever made. So again putting together that the OWH is hinting at something that's most likely a done deal adds up to at least something.

****

And as far as the empty block by the UP garage, the city has a sort of master plan for Capitol Ave. It started with reconstructing the street and then the following beautification project.

- Consider how the Wallstreet Tower's main entrance is on Capitol and not Dodge. I thought it was stupid to have it face a dead Capitol Ave as opposed to the most active street in Omaha. If the Wallstreet is wanting to have lots of pedestrian activity it's going to have to be on an active street. Yes it is just facing the opposite of Dodge but this whole area is being planned carefully. The city wants an active pedestrian corridor on Capitol to intersect with the 11th St. corridor which ends at.... the Swanson site. So yes having the Wallstreet open up to a dead street seems stupid now, but do you really think someone is going to have that big of an investment stay in a dead area, or be a part of an active area.

- Also the Swanson site won't get rolling until the Wallstreet Tower has sold enough units. The city wants a large Wallstreet-esque component to the Swanson site but so far it hasn't proved to sell as well. Give it time though. I would look for concrete plans about the Swanson site to come in 3-4 years.

****

So in a breif rundown this is what I see happening.

PacLife is going to build on the OWH site. The city's detailed plan for the Capitol Avenue area will include a light-rail spur up Capitol into a newly expanded CBD with two major construction projects on the Swanson site and on 11th and Capitol.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:59 pm

DTO I hope you are correct with this one

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:57 pm

Anonymous wrote:First off, sorry for posting as a guest on this one. I post here very regularly but cannot in this thread. My "significant other" works at PL. We just couldn’t sit back and not weigh in on this any more. I know that on occasion people from PL look at this board. While my SO in not in a place to know specifics they feel that they do know enough to know the PL move to Omaha at any level more than they are already are is highly unlikely. The rumor has been addressed and dismissed by management. (I know this doesn't mean a lot) Some work that was brought to Omaha and set up to be Omaha work is now being trained in CA to be done there. The building in CA that was mentioned here by someone is in fact taking place. There have been a few people that relocated from CA that are now relocating BACK to CA. They have relocated a disaster recovery center here to Omaha and this may have been the root of some rumors but it is here and the FEW jobs tied to it are here too. This came after the initial move. They had trouble getting the few people to relocate to NE that they needed to move what they did here. The chances of them wanting to disrupt things with a large % of new employees is small the way I see it. Sorry if this dampens this rumor. I hope they do add more here as much as anyone, I just don’t think this is it for the new downtown building. Please, PL prove me wrong.

Just to clarify. As the Reg. poster - guest, that Cowboy vouched for by verifying ISP ID. This is the Only Guest Post that I am responsible for.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:51 pm

Anonymous wrote:
How much of what you just said was your own personal speculation and how much is coming from an inside source you may have somewhere?

Reguarding the tower design: Inside source

Reguarding a rail line on Capitol: Inside source

Slow Wallstreet sales holding up Swanson site: Speculation

The Capitol Avenue plans were made public. Although it was in the early days of the site and may have been before anyone would have cared to look into it further.

You can't have that much coincidence and not have it add up. It's almost too perfect a situation.

psl25201 · Post by **psl25201** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:02 am

From the World Herald:

Pacific Life adds offices as it grows

Pacific Life Insurance Co. has started constructing a nine-story, 242,000-square-foot office building in an office park in Aliso Viejo, Calif., about 10 miles south of its headquarters in Newport Beach, Calif.

In Omaha, about 200 people work at Pacific Life's offices in the Landmark Center, 13th and Farnam Streets.

Oyler said the company is on track to meet its goal of 250 employees in Omaha by the end of 2007. The office opened in 2004 after the company switched its legal residence to Nebraska to take advantage of the state's favorable insurance tax rates.

LINK: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46&u_sid=2237525

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:35 am

So their are 2,500 employees company wide, but they are going to move 3,000 jobs to the metro. It doesn't take a CPA to figure this one out. Me thinks DTO may no longer be undefeated in the rumors column

. Oh well, you can't win them all

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:55 am

I still have faith in DTO.
But I want an announcemnt here within the year!

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:58 am

Enough already. Pacific Life isn't moving to Omaha. Period. As with Aflac, they didn't do anything more than make their legal domicile in Nebraska. It's like a Delaware address. It's a tax thing, with maybe a couple of hundred back office employees.

A little simple logic can go a long way folks.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:28 am

Thank you, Bob for saying what needs to be said. However, something tells me some aren't going to be able to let this go that easy. They have a logic in their heads that says otherwise. While I would love to believe them, I have to ask if any of them can give me an example of when a company with minimal ties to a city decided to all of the sudden move a huge chunk of their workforce to a town and build a signature skyscraper in that city's CBD. It may have happened sometime in the past somewhere, but it is not an everyday occurrence.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:31 am

Thanks for coming out of the dark...again...Guy. Appreciate that input. Make sure to ask your friend about it when you see him at the party!!!

And DTO, I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that we can expect an announcement on Omaha's next tallest building within the next 10 to 15 years.

Don't make it sound like you have valid information if the truth is, you don't.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:40 am

Guy-

Thanks for your contribution and insights on what has become probably the longest running rumor of all time on eomaha.com..

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Raraavis · Post by **Raraavis** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:00 am

I work for a company that recently moved 60 jobs from the West Coast to Omaha. They offered 40 of those people jobs in Omaha, of those 40 people 5 accepted jobs in Omaha. Two of those people quit and moved back to the West Coast in less than 6 months. The idea that any firm would move every job in their company under similar circumstances is doubtful at best.

We would all love to see Google, or Microsoft, or Boeing move to Omaha but it is unlikely to happen. Pac Life could have 500 jobs in Omaha in 5 years instead of the 200 they have today but moving all 3000 of their jobs is not going to happen.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:51 pm

Thanks for your info Guy. An interesting rumor to follow!

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:52 pm

Admin note**nebugeater wrote a post indicating that our now infamous Pac Life rumor has a ways to go in catching up to the former Cheesecake Factory rumor..This was in response to my earlier post in which I ranked the Pac Life rumor as the longest running eomaha rumor of all time..However yours truly accidently zapped his post, along with my original response post..Once again proving the theory that 'nobody is perfect' to be an absolute truth..Sorry about that nebugeater..The following is my respone to your post**..

..

The difference as I see it, is that Cheesecake Factory coming to Omaha had a much more firmly rooted basis for it's eventual reality..Multiple individuals who worked in the retail business in Omaha had been speculating for several years of the intentions CF had for building a restaurant at Westroads in Omaha..And as we now know, it's a reality happening pretty much right down to spec..Not to mention that Des Moines had a CF and Omaha didn't? Hello, McFly..That's not how it's supposed to work..

This Pac Life rumor is a stratospheric longshot for Omaha by comparison..

I give the clear nod to Pac Life as I never considered Cheesecake Factory locating a restaurant in Omaha a rumor..But rather a reality laying in wait..

But I understand what you're saying all the same..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:53 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:And DTO, I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that we can expect an announcement on Omaha's next tallest building within the next 10 to 15 years.

Ya, mine. I have large aspirations to build the tallest building in Omaha so make a note of my name because you will see it in the paper a lot in the long term future.

I hope this gets built taller so I can top it. Anyway, I hope this rumor becomes reality no matter how long it takes.

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:59 pm

Raraavis wrote:I work for a company that recently moved 60 jobs from the West Coast to Omaha. They offered 40 of those people jobs in Omaha, of those 40 people 5 accepted jobs in Omaha. Two of those people quit and moved back to the West Coast in less than 6 months. The idea that any firm would move every job in their company under similar circumstances is doubtful at best.

We would all love to see Google, or Microsoft, or Boeing move to Omaha but it is unlikely to happen. Pac Life could have 500 jobs in Omaha in 5 years instead of the 200 they have today but moving all 3000 of their jobs is not going to happen.

This rumor has taken a lot of twists and turns over the time it has been out there. But I have never been of the impression that the jobs in California were going to relocate en masse to Omaha. Some maybe. And I guess I don't know where this 3000 number has come from either. As far as anything can be attributed to me, I have never meant to imply that the whole headquarters was coming here. It was explained to me as a operating division. Again my memory is not so good from that conversation I had several years ago. I didn't realize then the importance of commiting the details to memory.

As far as this being the longest running rumor on this board or not ....I don't know. But it is the longest and widest spread rumor I have ever been associated with. Thank goodness I have never accidently come into the know on a national security issue or something.

You know, even if my friend has some insights or information to share, I wonder how wise it will be to put it in print here. Maybe we would best share any new insights, if there are any, over beer somewhere and not in print.

Words in print have so much potential to get amplified.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:21 am

adam186 wrote:...make a note of my name because you will see it in the paper a lot in the long term future.

Likewise.

Guy, Private Messaging would also work for conveying info. Although, I would definitely be down for a spill-the-beans/everybody-tells-all meeting over beers.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:45 am

Oh brother... do I really need to tell anyone... if you feel uncomfortable posting some piece of information which has come into your posession, don't. Certainly, if it could possibly end up costing you the confidence of a friend, or your job, or whatever... don't share your information here.

My hopes with the rumor section was, to not only provide an outlet for leaking inside scoops, but to generate a little excitement and stir the imagination. Don't take it so seriously folks. ;)

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:35 am

^it is only now however many months or (years?) later that I am wondering if I spilled any inside news. yeah call me silly. My friend said it at the time. I repeated it. Didn't think much more about it in the context of "Geez, I wonder if I should have publicly repeated that?". With all the heat DTO was taking I thought I shouldn't leave him out there all by himself.

So before I ask my friend if he has anymore information about PacLife, I will have to spill my guts about how far his comments to me in the basement of his house have travelled since.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:42 am

I wish more peopke would spill their guts - er - disclose rumor material - it makes for some interesting conversation.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:35 am

I have a "spill your guts" project that I have been informed of, but I promised I wouldnt say anything. Lets just say its a HUGE project in the eastern part of the city. But alas, events will unfold in time....

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:08 am

I love this forum!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:10 pm

As far as this being the longest running rumor on this board or not ....I don't know. But it is the longest and widest spread rumor I have ever been associated with. Thank goodness I have never accidently come into the know on a national security issue or something.

You know, even if my friend has some insights or information to share, I wonder how wise it will be to put it in print here. Maybe we would best share any new insights, if there are any, over beer somewhere and not in print.

This above, I definitely understand. Really, nothing should be said here that would ever put someone's career or financial position at stake. Nothing is that worth it, we can always wait and be surprised.

I have a "spill your guts" project that I have been informed of, but I promised I wouldnt say anything. Lets just say its a HUGE project in the eastern part of the city. But alas, events will unfold in time....

This however, is cruel and unusual. Never with the zealots that frequent this site, should a person be allowed to say, "I know something, but I can't tell you." For the sake of my arteries could you just pretend you know nothing and not dangle the ham bone in front of the pit bulls.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:00 pm

This however, is cruel and unusual. Never with the zealots that frequent this site, should a person be allowed to say, "I know something, but I can't tell you." For the sake of my arteries could you just pretend you know nothing and not dangle the ham bone in front of the pit bulls.

Hey! I wasnt going to say anything, but I thought what the hey I might as well. Ill tell you it isnt a project downtown, so dont think its a new skyscraper or anything. Lets just call it a "district" that may surface at some point.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:04 pm

But I like Ham Bones!

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:08 pm

omahastylee459 wrote: Hey! I wasnt going to say anything, but I thought what the hey I might as well. Ill tell you it isnt a project downtown, so dont think its a new skyscraper or anything. Lets just call it a "district" that may surface at some point.

Ohhhhhhhhh....

SNAP!..

I love this forum (and Ham Bones) too..

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:04 am

Mike, is this something that hasn't been announced??? Or details on an existing proposal?

What's the timeframe for an announcement?

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:37 am

it is in the very early planning stages, investors are lined up, no where near ready for an announcement to the public, im not saying anymore!!! back to pac life!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:22 am

Ahhh...sounds yet another bogus North Downtown project. Yes, in 5-10 years this new eastern Omaha district will eclipse North Downtown, The Old Market, The Mutual project, The Riverfront District, actual downtown and Little Italy to become the newest and greatest project on record. And I am sure it will eclipse Ak-Sar-Ben Village as well.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:44 am

^

not even going to reply to

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:54 pm

Whether PacLife comes I will say this. Nebraska has passed some great laws that insurance compaines are sure to take hold off. We've already seen companies domicile here and I'm sure we'll see more.