Official: Saddle Creek 'Slowdown'/Bluestone /Film Streams

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:04 pm

Omaha World Herald wrote: Record label plans bar, music venue

For five years, Jason Kulbel and Robb Nansel have wanted to open a live-music venue.

The men - who run the internationally renowned, Omaha-based label Saddle Creek Records - are getting closer.

They have purchased land at 1528 N. Saddle Creek Road where they hope to build a bar and concert venue called Slowdown. Kulbel said the name comes from the former Omaha rock band Slowdown Virginia.

The proposed club is a $1 million-plus project, said attorney Mike Kelley of Omaha. A construction date and opening date have not been determined.

Plans call for a 11/2-story building with more than 10,000 square feet of space. The bar would be open daily with concerts held two or three nights a week. The facility would accommodate 400 people, but that number could change as the project progresses, Kulbel said.

Nansel, Kulbel and their attorney will go in front of Metcalfe Park neighbors today to discuss their plans at a 7 p.m. public meeting at Harrison Elementary School, 5304 Hamilton St.

Kelley said he anticipates parking to be the main concern of neighbors. The current site plan has 62 parking spaces.

"We need another 150 stalls," Kelley said. "We don't want to have a lot of our customers parking in residential areas."

Possible options include expanding the existing site to allow room for additional parking or to contract with nearby businesses to use their lots.

Nansel and Kulbel are willing to work with residents to address any concerns, said Kelley, adding that the project is "not going to be a nightclub" but will have more of a "neighborhood tavern" feel.

Kulbel said the venue will feature both local and national bands whose musical styles are similar to those of the indie-rock acts represented on Saddle Creek Records.

The company's headquarters at 60th and Maple Streets may also move to the new building. The club, however, is a separate endeavor from the label. It will be run by both Nansel and Kulbel. Details such as who will book the concerts have not been determined.

Concert promoter Marc Leibowitz of Omaha, who runs 1 Percent Productions with business partner Jim Johnson, said he has been approached by Nansel and Kulbel to move his concerts from Sokol Underground to their proposed venue.

"In all likelihood we'll book shows there," said Leibowitz. "But it all depends on supply and demand."

While the new club may have an effect on Sokol Underground, it likely won't have an impact on the 1,400-capacity Sokol Auditorium - where Saddle Creek bands Cursive, Bright Eyes and the Faint have played to sold-out crowds. The new club will be too small to handle those shows.

Leibowitz's company books 70 percent of all concerts held at Sokol Underground and about 30 percent of those at Sokol Auditorium. Both are rental facilities open to all bands and promoters.

Leibowitz said he still might host some concerts at the Underground because Nansel and Kulbel's venue will cater mainly to the indie-rock set.

Leibowitz said his goal as a concert promoter is to bring diverse styles of music to Omaha, including hip-hop, metal and hard rock.

"You can't open up and cater to one small niche of people," he said. "You've got to be able to cater to a wider audience. Right now indie-rock is riding a high wave of popularity. Who knows how long that will be a popular thing? I hope it remains that way, but you never know."

But even with an indie-rock niche, the new club has a good chance of doing well because of its central location and because unlike the Ranch Bowl and Sokol, it will be designed with music in mind, Leibowitz said.

"They'll design it to sound good," he said.

Leibowitz said it's too early to tell what kind of impact the venue will have on the local music scene.

"It's just another place to play, which is good," he said. "Anything that makes Omaha more of a music town is good for all of the venues."

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:02 pm

I had been wondering why the Saddle Creek gang hadn't built another venue.
It's about time. Great news, and with the Music Box coming back....

Post by **Brad** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:31 pm

This will be good for Omaha, with the music box now closed. If feel that the neighbors will be the biggest problem.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:04 pm

great news. I wish they would build downtown, though.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:17 pm

If you've driven by the music box recently, you'll notice that it has been painted red and now bares a sign out front that reads: "RetroMetro" or something like that....wonder what's goin on there.

http://www.timmcmahan.com/images/slowdown1.jpg
http://www.timmcmahan.com/images/slowdown2.jpg
http://www.timmcmahan.com/images/slowdown3.jpg
http://www.timmcmahan.com/images/slowdown4.jpg

Post by **Brad** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:30 pm

Last night on the news, the neighbors looked upset off about this proposed project. However usually more people who are aginst a project show up than the people that are for it.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:31 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:great news. I wish they would build downtown, though.

Dittio. I can understand them wanting to build on Saddle Creek though.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:34 pm

Brad wrote:Last night on the news, the neighbors looked upset off about this proposed project. However usually more people who are aginst a project show up than the people that are for it.

Read Tim McMahan's recounting of the session: http://www.timmcmahan.com/lazyeye.htm

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 5:49 pm

WOWT CHANNEL 6

Nightclub Application Withdrawn
Neighborhood fought to keep business out

A neighborhood fight to stop the opening of a proposed bar and concert hall has apparently been successful. One of the developers said Monday their application for a liquor license would be withdrawn.

Neighborhood residents noticed a sign a few weeks ago. That's how they first found out would-be developers had applied for the liquor license to open a combination bar, office, and concert hall at Saddle Creek and Seward. Residents feared the crowds would spill over into their quiet neighborhood.

One of the applicants said Monday afternoon that because of the opposition, they'd withdraw their application on Tuesday. The idea backed by Saddle Creek Records was to put the bar and concert hall in an area now occupied by a car wash adjacent to a vacant lot. At an emergency neighborhood meeting two weeks ago, developers were not able to calm fears about parking. Many living in the Metcalf neighborhood feared the planned nightclub would be too large for the parking space available. "Up to 400, we've heard 500 seated with up to 750 or more standing," said Tim Lillethorup of the Metcalf Neighborhood Association. "They have 60 parking spots proposed." People living in the neighborhood talked with other neighborhood associations with nearby nightclubs and didn't like what they heard. "The neighbors are constantly having to have cars towed, beer bottles in their yards in the morning," said Lillethorup.

Faced with such opposition, Saddle Creek Records said they're withdrawing their application for a liquor license. One of the applicants said it will be announced before the Omaha City Council on Tuesday. "We're kind of shocked," said Lillethorup. "If this is true we're very happy about it. We never wished these guys any harm. We want them to succeed in their business, but this is just the wrong location."

Those opposed to the concert hall said they have no reason to doubt Jason Kulbel, the applicant who said the application would be withdrawn. But they still plan to attend the city council meeting Tuesday and hope others in the neighborhood will too.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:21 pm

Wouldn't this be cool by the new condos north of Creighton. It would help add to the possible entertainment district that may come to this area.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:25 pm

Good idea.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:16 pm

Official: Saddle Creek 'Slowdown'/Bluestone /Film Streams 'Ruth Sokolof Theater'

I heard on the radio that there was a press conference from Bluestone & Saddle Creek Records that they are going to begin construction of a headquarters for Saddle Creek/Performance hall/Twin Theater/Residential between Creighton & the Qwest Center.

Of course I looked at the OWH web site & there wasn't a thing about it.

Hey! Â Monopoly Fishwrap! Â Take out a crowbar & pry open your wallet & hire some kid to update your web site! Â You guys are pathetic....
My subscription is up now & you can forget about my hundred bucks a year. Â I'll hire a carrier pidgeon to bring me the news. Â Its faster & the pidgeon never refused to call it the Qwest Center.

Sorry for the rant, but since I've been doing a lot of traveling I've seen what a real newspaper looks like...& you aint it.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:57 pm

WOWT had a story on it... a little blurb on their website...
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/1621457.html

Really nothing more than what we already knew earlier.
http://www.eomaha.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1954

OmahaChef · Post by **OmahaChef** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 7:12 pm

Post by **Brad** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:56 pm

I know this is posted in two spots, but it is about both topics
Fahey backs project planned downtown

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1636&u_sid=1443657

New development will come rapidly in Omaha's north downtown area in the next seven to 10 years, an urban developer said Thursday.

"It will be nothing like you've ever seen in Omaha," said Christian Christensen of Bluestone Development.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 1:05 am

"New development will come rapidly in Omaha's north downtown area in the next seven to 10 years"

Hmmm, that's a little contradictory. seven to 10 years isn't my definition of "rapidly". However, I am excited at the outlook.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 8:11 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Hmmm, that's a little contradictory. seven to 10 years isn't my definition of "rapidly". However, I am excited at the outlook.

When you're talking an area of somewhere around 80 city blocks, 7 to 10 years would be pretty rapid.

Hawkeye · Post by **Hawkeye** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 8:17 am

Really. This is a significant step forward for Omaha.

But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop referring to it as "North Downtown". While we're at it, why not just refer to the Old Market as "The Village" or "The Warehouse District".

We don't have to steal another city's nomenclature. Come up with something uniquely Omaha, not an all-to-uncreative twist on Denver's LoDo.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 5:35 pm

icejammer wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Hmmm, that's a little contradictory. seven to 10 years isn't my definition of "rapidly". However, I am excited at the outlook.
When you're talking an area of somewhere around 80 city blocks, 7 to 10 years would be pretty rapid.

No. I would see three to five years as being "rapid", since that was the term used.

And I do agree, Hawkeye. The Old Market is spoken for, however. Plus, even though it's a stupid, unoriginal name, you know people would gripe about it if the city tried to change it. It would take a mass group of people to all band together and start calling it something different, but it would be very difficult to enact and coordinate that many cool people. I tried to get people to call it the Omar for a while, but it didn't catch on. I still call it that once in a while.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:03 pm

Why don't we just call it the Cool New part of DT. Since I made the initialing of DTO popular I'm partial to DTN.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:29 pm

Saddle Creek Finds Home in No-Do(North Downtown Omaha)

http://www.kptm.com/news/local/1623222.html

The Slowdown will be a bar and music club. Above will be the label's offices, all attached to a restaurant, retail offices, residences and a two-screen theatre.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:39 am

Of course GREAT news..

Novak took the words out of my mouth as it relates to the Weird-Herald..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 1:15 pm

Open for business in a year? Nice! I hope they do it!

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:43 pm

That is great that they plan to be open in a year. This will really kick things off for the entire area. It is also great to hear that things will be developing reapidly over the next 7 - 10 years (not contradictory in development timelines - developing 80 urban blocks in 3-5 years is unrealistic).

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 4:46 pm

Not sure if anyone mentioned it... I know a hotel on the TipTop property WAS mentioned... but it was disclosed by folks at inPlay that it would be a Hampton Inn going in on the north side of the convention/catering portion of their establishment.

OmahaChef · Post by **OmahaChef** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:00 pm

Yep, as I mentioned to the forumers yesterday during the InPlay tour, it is a Hampton Inn, and will be located behind the Forte Banquet and Conference Cener addition to the Tip-Top building. The remaining piece of land between the Tip-Top parking lot and the railroad tracks, fronting Cuming Street is reserved for another use. Permits should be granted during August, with construction to start in September, and Completion by May of 2006.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:02 pm

And the club wrap was fabulous Chef!

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 7:07 pm

So was the seafood alfredo!

OmahaChef · Post by **OmahaChef** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 7:31 pm

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

It would be great if the Saddle Creek/Slowdown project broke ground this fall. Several plots of land under construction at once would give me something to watch all winter....between restaurant customers and banquets, of course.

SychoBC · Post by **SychoBC** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:06 pm

Finn wrote:That is great that they plan to be open in a year. This will really kick things off for the entire area. It is also great to hear that things will be developing reapidly over the next 7 - 10 years (not contradictory in development timelines - developing 80 urban blocks in 3-5 years is unrealistic).

No, it absolutely isn't unrealistic. And by no means am I saying that I think it would or could develop that "rapidly" in Omaha. "Boom towns" have experienced rapid growth in their core where dozens of highrises are being built AT THE SAME TIME, let alone over 3 to five years. Cities like Seattle and Houston had most of their tallest and most significant skyscrapers built within years of eachother, and we're not even talking about skyscrapers.

Plus, 80 blocks is just the study area size, not the amount of actual developable land. The study marks some land as low density business park, etc.

You can fool some people people some of the time, Finn, but you can't fool all the people all the time. ;)

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:30 pm

Apparently a couple of my last few posts here are listed as being from "SychoBC" (?????), since I'm not on my computer and forgot I was not logged in.

I'm sure most of you can tell which ones are mine.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:27 am

Oh and OmahaChef..

The Philly Cheesesteak was supurb as well..Bravo

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:41 am

Aaron, this 'aint Houston (which wasn't built in three years ), you need to understand the market...and the business. Growth and development is coming, let it takes its course.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:22 pm

Finn, you're not listening to me.

All I'm saying is that a place like Houston or Seattle HAS experienced truly RAPID urban growth, which sets a precedent. Omaha's 7 to 10 years to develop North Downtown is not rapid BY COMPARISON.

ALL I'M SAYING.

And I'm sure you understand the Omaha market very well from your desk in D.C.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:41 pm

And I'm sure you understand the Omaha market very well from your desk in D.C.

Actually, I got paid to understand it.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:01 pm

Yeah, thanks for the tour and the good food chef.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:22 pm

If a majority of North DT is done in 7-10 years I'd be happy. And for Omaha that would be pretty fast. By 2015 there will be well over 1,200,000 people btwn Omaha and Lincoln so we'll be on the rader for outsiders to build here. I'm not at all pleased that they want to put an office park down there. Why not push for people to go into existing space or if they do want offices than build UP.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:11 pm

Hawkeye wrote:Really. This is a significant step forward for Omaha.

But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop referring to it as "North Downtown". While we're at it, why not just refer to the Old Market as "The Village" or "The Warehouse District".

We don't have to steal another city's nomenclature. Come up with something uniquely Omaha, not an all-to-uncreative twist on Denver's LoDo.

STRONGLY AGREED.

Since as many people seemed to be against my proposal to call it Upper Market as were for it (I got a letter back from the Mayor in response to the letter and district map I sent him, but it didn't really give any specific information)....anyway, we should just call it Jobber's Canyon or New Jobber's Canyon.. Then it has a historical name that is true to Omaha.

TMac · Post by **TMac** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:25 pm

Here's some more info on the Slowdown project from http://www.lazy-i.com.

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:16 pm

Good story Tim.

I've been an avid reader of your column from way back in pre-Danse Macabre days.

I was pleased with the "awkwardly nick-named" comment. You realize of course that you are in a position to help name that area of town?

Omaha Forums

Official: Saddle Creek 'Slowdown'/Bluestone /Film Streams

Saddle Creek Records plans to build bar/concert venue

Official: Saddle Creek 'Slowdown'/Bluestone /Film Streams

Fahey backs project planned downtown

Great news.

Saddle Creek Finds Home

Re: Great news.