Omaha World Herald wrote:
Customized condos in mind
An Omaha developer wants to construct a five-story building for 16 custom-designed condominiums at a site where a parking lot now stands at 12th and Jackson Streets.
Omaha developer Greg Mahloch is proposing a five-story building at 12th and Jackson Streets in the Old Market.
Greg Mahloch said he has an option on the 33-space lot, and his plan is contingent on getting an unspecified amount of tax-increment financing approved by the City of Omaha. Ken Johnson of the Planning Department said he's had conversations about the project, but no formal application has been filed.
Mahloch was involved in a joint venture that built the Wild Oats center at 78th and Dodge Streets and with tearing down the Bombay Bicycle Club restaurant at 7010 Dodge St. for a music store. He developed the Saddle Creek Road and Cuming Street shopping center that originally featured an Albertson's supermarket.
Mahloch said he has turned his attention to downtown condos because he sees a niche market that's not being served by current plans for more than 400 new downtown condos: the people who want to live in the heart of the Old Market.
"I'm not south of the old Market or west of the Old Market or north of the old Market," Mahloch said. "I'm in the Old Market."
In addition, he said, he'll be offering new construction instead of a retrofitted building. He said he is planning a parking garage on the first floor.
He said he'll sell unfinished space for people to finish as they like, starting at about 1,000 square feet and about $200,000. The 24 parking stalls will feature lifts that allow a second vehicle to be parked in the same space, Mahloch said.
He said he'd like to start construction in the spring and have people moving in by this time next year.
"All indications are there's room for more" downtown condos, Mahloch said.
WOW great news! I think it's official, we no longer have any warehouses to convert into condos. We have to start building them Are we in the 600's yet in the downtown condo counter?
They need to either put the parking in the basement or move it up a floor so there is ground level retail. It would be a shame if the city let's this go forward without putting something at street level.
This is a really nice rendering and looks like a great project. I'm wondering how long it will be before we start getting posts about this not being 'tall enough' haha!!
BTW....I'm back home in Nebraska....and I am VERY glad it is warmer today! The lights on the Gene Leahy mall look fantastic....Omaha sure is a much more attractive looking city these days.
Yeah, I think it's that lot by Maggie Moo's. Of course I am ABSOLUTELY extatic about this project, but I agree. It MUST have active uses at street level. If it doesn't, yeah it will be dissapointing, but at least a 5 story building with 16 condos in it is better than a surface parking lot.
And for the record, there are still definitely some "vacant warehouse" spaces, even right in the Old Market, that have yet to be restored to housing. But, it's awesome that Omaha has gotten to the point where it is seeing NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION in and around downtown!!!
And there's plenty more surface lots, even in the Old Market and vicinity, where this came from .
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Absolutely, Greg. That's the one dissapointing thing about this project. And I do mean ONE!
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
How are they planning on replacing the parking lot that will be lost here? I mean Old Market parking is bad enough as it is, now that we'll be with one less lot it will make the situation even worse.
Exactly. Walking is not the devil. It's a good thing. It would solve all your Old Market parking dilemmas if you just move down there. Then you won't have to park .
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
This is the first residential project in downtown Omaha that I truly see as "infill"...and it's a BEAUTIFUL thing. Yes, I suppose SoMa is "infill", but to a lesser extent. I think true infill is when you develop under-utilized land in an existing urban context. SoMa is sort of on the edge of the urban context. SoMa is AWESOME, but I see these Jackson Condos as Omaha first "true" infill.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
How are they planning on replacing the parking lot that will be lost here? I mean Old Market parking is bad enough as it is, now that we'll be with one less lot it will make the situation even worse.
You were kidding right? Right!?
Within reason, lack of parking in a district like this is a good thing. Hip, urban areas aren't known for their surface parking lots. On the other side, if business is to thrive, there does have to be parking provided to the suburbanites and tourists that come down. Maybe a wayfinding system to the parking garages would be helpful (if they're not doing that already).
I know you need parking in the old market/dt area. However parkinglots always look like an eyesore, everything from their cheep sign to the lack of landscaping and flowers. Garages are the correct way to especally with the amount of development going on in DTO.
Absolutely. To just have surface lots is a TERRIBLE waste of space. Parking should either be underground, or in a garage with streetlevel retail.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
When I was in Austin lots of buildings were built on top of parking garages or had underground parking. We could do something like that in the future so we don't waste to much land on 33 parking spaces. I have never really tried to park in the OM so I am used to walking.
Aside from the qwest center, I don't think anybody is developing new surface lots for developments DT. The natural course of things should cause the existing surface lots to slowly dissappear and be replaced by infill projects like this one, which will do exactly what you're proposing.
I think that once they are up it will expose DT living to alot of people from the more outlying parts of Omaha. (It's seem to me many people still dont' know that much about DTO.) It is in a heavily trafficed part of the OM and will attract alot of attention for itself and other DT living projects.
And, I agree, D'Shawn. I especially think that once this actually starts construction it's really going to catch people's eyes. This is the first NEW construction ACTUALLY IN the Old Market ever. People will definitely take notice.
"The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city."
Lewis Mumford, The Highway and the City, 1963
Mahloch previously announced plans to construct a 16-unit, five-story condo project on a parking lot at 12th and Jackson Streets. He said he has worked with city planners to revise his design to make it more modern and to include retail on the first floor. Construction could begin this summer, Mahloch said.
This is EXACTLY the kind of Development that has been missing in the Old Market for YEARS. This is the kind of development that should be on ALL surface parking lots in the Old Market, and extending west on Harney, Franam, Howard, Jackson, Jones and Leavenworth Streets.
Any news of when construction will start? I would imagin soon with the nice weather and everything.
The city council doesn't do anything in the old market without the blessing of the local neighborhood association. My guess is that the hearing is related to this, and changes to the design. It is a great project for the area, so I expect it to get approval once it jumps throught the appropriate hoops.
According to the text of the Council Agenda, under City Council Rule VII F, the redevelopment plan for 12th Street Condos LLC contains provisions for the division of ad valorem taxes under Section 18-2147 through 18-2150. This requires publication and a public hearing. And one wonders why it takes so long for projects to get off the ground!
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