I'm surprised no one mentioned this... did the latest Encounter magazine (with the ad) just come out today?? (their ad said from $31k! Â so I'm guessing some of them aren't getting much in the way of rework)
I saw this rendering a while back. Â I wonder if they intend to add central air to all the units... or do some residents use them to reduce their utility costs? (those window units sort of detract from the look of an otherwise nice residential building).
from the website wrote:
Located at 604 South 22nd Street, the Rorick has been a part of the downtown Omaha landscape since 1953. Originally it was constructed as an 11-story structure with 235 apartments and parking for 100. It is now undergoing a $1.5 million renovation to convert for sale approximately 230 single-family condominiums.
It was back in June of 1950 when Ernest C. Rorick filed the articles of incorporation to commence the Rorick apartments. He was able to secure a loan from the Federal Housing Administration for nearly $2 million, which became the largest loan granted, to date, in Omaha's history.
The original plans also included a lounge area, "rumpus" room, children's play area, and a nursery.
A notable fact about the Rorick is for 22 years it housed some of the most notable radio stations in the area. In 1959 it became the home of KCOM, 96.1 a "Classic" radio station. It later became KOIL, FM from 1967-1974 and then became KEFM. By 1980, KEFM became one of the top stations in Omaha. Ironically that same year a terrible summer storm came through the metro and toppled the tower.
Through the years, Ernest Rorick, who lived on the 11th floor, was known for being very generous and philanthropic. He regularly hosted receptions for his tenants and got to know them on a personal basis. He was even known for giving out Christmas presents. The tenants, in turn, honored Rorick for all his kindness over the years by hosting a 79th Birthday party for him and his family.
Rorick, also through the years, owned and partnered in multiple other Omaha apartment complexes. Including The Covert, Leneshire Apartment House, and the Masonic Manor.
The renovations that are currently under way will include new paint, ceilings, floor coverings and light fixtures in the common areas. There is now an exercise room, which has been updated. The lower level provides a huge laundry facility, with over 30 brand new front load washer and dryers. The security system will be updated, with front building key access only, and many more cameras added. The parking garage will be re-surfaced, painted, and more security cameras added. A brand new sprinkler system, in both the main building and in each unit will also be installed for fire safety.
Each unit will be updated to include:
• New windows
• New paint
• New floor coverings
• New counter tops
• New cabinets
New appliances will also be added including:
• New range
• New oven
• New microwave
• New refrigerator
Upgrades will be available for flooring, counter tops, appliances, and cabinets.
The Rorick is within blocks to:
• Liberty Elementary School
• Omaha Children’s Museum
• YMCA
• Interstate access & close to major universities
• All other downtown businesses, restaurants, and retail stores
I hope the majority are owner occupied... I'm starting to see a disturbing trend of these new condos (incl. units at SoMa) being bought and offered up for lease.
Those are TINY condos, don't know how much of a market that would attract. They are barely bigger than a dorm room. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Size is one part of the bargain. The other reason is it's in a shitty part of town. Has anyone here ever been around this area? It has some of the most truly desolate, impoverished parts of Omaha. If it this conversion does bring about a change than good for it, but I think the owners are a bit opptimistic, even for $31,000. I also can't say I'm glad to see another affordable apartment DT go condo.
Those condos are a bargain at $31,000... if nothing ELSE but as a rental. Long term the area also holds great promise for the future with the newly renovated Drake Court, Liberty Elementary and Children's Museum on the corner next door. This is the southern end of the proposed Arts District.
Last edited by eomaha on Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
We'll that maybe but I had friends that lived a few blocks away from there and I know it in one of the worst areas in Omaha. I know Drake Court is there which is nice but venture out a bit more and it's not an area you'd want to go walking around with your camera taking pictures in.
I think many would have said the same of North Downtown a short time ago... yet we're building it up from scratch. There is all sorts of decent architecture surrounding the Drake Court area... let's give developers incentive to make the area thrive again.
I'm not saying write the area off. And there is a huge differance btwn this area and what North DT was. NDT didn't have people living in it or hookers, drug dealers, car theft, and all the other stuff that goes on near the Rorick now. This isn't an vacant area. People live here and the stuff that goes on does make this area mostly undesirable. Just the the stuff I have seen first hand with prostitution and people selling guns out of their cars and the burglury shows that the area has a ways to go before what people want the area to be.
I'm not trying to offend you Jeff but quite a few people here know how many truly dangerous parts of Omaha there are. This is one of them and it will take more to turn it around than a condo conversion and being the bookend of an arts district.
The same challenges which face the area surrounding Drake Court... are merely blocks away from North Downtown. Do we honestly think one area is better buffered than another? Both represent a lot of work ahead.
Hmmmm.... a condo downtown that doesn't cost me $2,000 a month or more. Maybe this is worth looking into. For the price of my apartment in Bellevue, I could own my own one bedroom place even if it is in the shittiest part of downtown. In my previous life, I could have afforded about anything downtown, and had a great 1500 square foot apartment in the Skinner Macaroni, but with my new career, high prices being charged downtown isn't exactly in my budget. I loved when the Barker was pushing their "condos", now apartments to teachers, firemen and policeman, with starting prices in the 150's. Like any of those 32K per year salaries would allow a person to buy a condo at 150K and up! Of course, no amount of renovation is going to make up for roaches crawling all over the place. Guess I'll just stay where I am.
jhuston wrote:The same challenges which face the area surrounding Drake Court... are merely blocks away from North Downtown. Do we honestly think one area is better buffered than another? Both represent a lot of work ahead.
Lots of money was dumped into Drake Court, unlike what's been going on with the Rorick, and since DC is closer to main parts of DT, Liberty Elementry, and the newly completed Jail, (Police presence) Drake Court is in a better position than the Rorick. A few block can make a world of differance. Just to prove me right Jeff go down to the Rorick area and just walk around (not drive) and see if you think anyone would want to own in that area.
And Jeff I still have to disagree with you about NDT. The area around there isn't a high crime one. Barely anyone lives in NDT now and the areas north aren't bad. If you hadn't noticed there is pretty big strip mall going in on 24th St. (complete with a DT view) and if yuo haven't been around 24th and Lake lately, there is a new park there with fountains and a large statue of jazz performers.
But before I get to divisive here let me say this. I would like to see that area turn around. While the Rorick has been DT for a long time it should stay a rental unit. Not many people are going to want to buy in this area as it is now. The problems in this are aren't ones condos or developers can fix.
Give me a break DTO... a few blocks can make a difference? No kidding. Rorick is on the other end of Drake Court. Did you forget about what lay within blocks of North Downtown? the homeless shelters? the rooming houses? Kellom Heights? North Omaha in general? Both north and southwest downtown are challenged. The only difference is one is being predominantly built up from vacant ground... the other has building stock which is prime for revitalization. I think both are worthy of our attention... I don't know why you're so down on one.
I'm not down on the Rorick. I'm just taking a realistic view of the area. Hopefully it will get better with the school and stronger police presence in the area, but even if it does go condo I don't see there being a strong demand to be there given the area it's in.
Chef-
I guess you would know better about the crime down there since you work there. I just figured given the lack of residents that there wouldn't be as much crime. And no Jeff I didn't forget about all of the stuff in/near NDT. I have stayed in one of those rooming places, a homeless shelter there (where the O'Keefe Building is), and my mom's exhusband would go out and use and we had to pick him up from the Francis House on multiple occassions. Heck I even got arrested in NDT on Cuming St. And it's still not as bad as the Rorick area.
The Rorick condos would be pretty sweet if you bought up about 3 or 4 of those puppies right next to each other, and knocked down some walls. That would get you some square footage where you could actually breath, or even walk around without bumping into furniture. Living in a jail cell of 300 sg ft just doesn't appeal to me I guess.
They just did a nice piece on this conversion on KETV tonight. The before and after shots of what they have done so far look incredible. I think this will be a great asset to downtown and this neighborhood.
As usual, the World Herald picks up on the news almost a week after we found out on this site. What a shocker, the WH is never behind this site...
It also sounds like the St. Claire building is going condo as well.
I actuall saw the St. Clare today. It looks more like a bunch of buildings instead of one. It southwest of the Fed. Reserve on Harney. I wouldn't own anything in the Rorick. Possibly the St. Clare though.
What a difference 2 years make, as I type this in my place at the Rorick I said I'd never buy in. Speaking of buying places I just bought place #2. I bought the studio next to mine and am combining it with the one I already live in. I'm very excited about that and the Rorick in general.
Indeed D'Shawn. I remember last year on the condo tour I was thinking "I'm not going to even bother looking at that place on the tour, I'd never live there." And I didn't go in on the tour. Here I am looking out my window at the skyline. Â 8) Â :lol:
I think we were actually going to go but we were running late meeting the other half of our group for lunch. I ended up coming in the next day and I was sold.
I know someone who lived in the Drake Court since it opened, and has just moved out. Â Loved it when he moved in. Â His comment was that the place had become virtually Section 8, and originally it was to be a neighborhood, with all types of incomes. Â That ideal apparently fell by the wayside. Â He felt the complex had become too "rough" and chose to move out.
Always a business-oriented city hungry for growth and focused on development with laser intensity, Omaha aimed high, reached for momentum and found critical mass.
The Rorick was bought last October and now plans on going back to apartments:
The plan proposes a redevelopment project resulting in the rehabilitation of over 200 market-rate residential units, the electrical and mechanical systems, adjacent garage structure, and elevator system; the apartments will be a mixture of studios and, one and two-bedroom units; costs of rehabilitating the elevator system and garage structure, and any public improvements as may be required; the plan contemplates total project cost estimates to be $5,900,000.00
That area could be a hip, vibrant neighborhood, but it is going to take more work to make it look more appealing. Â It still has the shady, don't-be-there-after-dark vibe.
I wholly disagree. When I lived at the Rorick there wasn't a whole lot of other people living in the building. It's not the case now. I live about 2 blocks from there now and I see more people have moved into the building. I don't think the area ever felt unsafe when I lived there. The last 2 weekends I've gone out with friends near there and saw more people on the streets enjoying the weekend then I did when I moved out 2 years ago.
I didn't say it was actually unsafe, just that it may give that impression to outsiders. I'm not judging scruffy neighborhoods, either; my wife and I recently bought a house 1/2 block off Park Ave.
EDIT: I probably should clarify that we live here, and aren't just wannabe slumlords like the owners of some of our neighboring properties...
Coyote wrote:The Rorick was bought last October and now plans on going back to apartments:
The plan proposes a redevelopment project resulting in the rehabilitation of over 200 market-rate residential units, the electrical and mechanical systems, adjacent garage structure, and elevator system; the apartments will be a mixture of studios and, one and two-bedroom units; costs of rehabilitating the elevator system and garage structure, and any public improvements as may be required; the plan contemplates total project cost estimates to be $5,900,000.00
I also hear that they are looking at providing high-speed wireless internet for their tenants - throughout the entire building.
So what does this mean for current owners? Â I suppose the existing owners vote on whether to accept a sale... and since the majority of the 'existing owners' is the developer... you're at their mercy? Â Â I know of at least one member here who is impacted by this... will they get a decent price?
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
Coyote wrote:I think that there only 20 owners there right now, which they plan to buy out in the future, not right away.
I don't know where you are getting your info, but its a pinch faulty.
I'm not going to go into details, but its a very bad situation for me and the other remaining owners. My best case scenario at this point is a short sale. Very worse case I might have to declare bankruptcy. Keep in mind that I'm behind zero payments on anything. While it might be good the building is going to get finished, the remaining owners are getting bent over a barrel. Anybody have a time machine handy?
Speaking of buying places I just bought place #2. I bought the studio next to mine and am combining it with the one I already live in. I'm very excited about that and the Rorick in general.
