Omaha 2025

[Taco]

I’ve been working on a fun little project trying to predict what Omaha will be like 10 years in the future. Over the past ten years, so much has been added to the city (the Bob, Aksarben Village, TD Park, Elkhorn, Midtown Crossing, Werner Park) and if our current economic growth continues (a large assumption), then this coming ten years could be even more prolific. I’ve speculated here on the currently announced and under construction projects with a few ideas of my own.

Here's a little background - By 2025, the Omaha metro population has surpassed 1 million with a city population around 540,000. With current growth rates, the city’s ethnic demographics will be around 58% white, 20% Hispanic, 15% Black, 5% Asian, 2% NA with Metro demographics considerably less diverse. I don’t believe the city will stretch much further beyond Elkhorn, but instead I see most of the suburban development filling in the gaps between current developments. I think with an increased population out west, growth will begin to be limited by lengthy (for Omaha standards) commute times with talk of a green ring to protect farmland (though I don’t forsee any concrete progress). I do see some mixed-use developments popping up along major streets and intersections, but suburban sprawl will still dominate the majority of suburban development.

I see Omaha becoming increasingly dense up until 72nd street, with a new “hip” area on N Saddle Creek and finally prospects of growth on the Riverfront. Current developments will be split into three categories.

Successes: The Yard, Riverfront development in Council Bluffs, Lot B, Capitol district, HDR (looks good). BRT line is used enough to warrant the development of another.

Mixed Bag: Civic development moves slowly, but includes a grocery store and will have a positive long-term impact. Crossroads is eventually revitalized as a shopping district with housing along the lines of Aksarben Village, but fails to be the game changer it could have. Streetcar has just finally finished construction in 2025, so the jury is still out.

Failures: Lanoha development doesn’t development, overbuilding of apartments in Leavenworth area (the ugly, dorm-like buildings). Baby Bob fails to provide desired impact. Essentially no economic growth in North Omaha.

Other predictions:
- North Downtown becomes an actual neighborhood that people live in bolstered by creative space and office redevelopment north of Cuming. Sienna Francis house property is bought and will be relocated.
- CenturyLink convention center expands, but by 2025 calls for renovation of the arena abound.
- By 2025, one more 25+ story tower is built with another under construction in 2025.
- Further mixed-use developments are planned in Dundee similar to the old C-Mart, but development in Dundee stagnates due to NIMBY concerns over traffic. Still no parking garage exists.
- UNO student body grows while UNL struggles to reach goal of 35,000. Controversy brews as Regents are seen as hindering UNO’s growth in order to preserve existing state university hierarchy. Continuing typical UNO mismanagement the current soccer stadium is torn up to build more academic buildings in 2022. On campus baseball and softball stadiums finally materialize along with a new soccer stadium on the “Center campus”
- A lack of federal highway funds means the Omaha beltway fails to materialize
- UNMC has begun the revitalization of the steel casting area as a mixed use development. Saddle creek has been re-routed and a park with a lake/pond now occupies its place.

Cultural
- Warren Buffett dies
- College World Series continues to build momentum in TD Ameritrade and the NCAA contract is extended
- Omaha gains a popular lower division soccer team that plays at Morrison stadium
- Gene Leahy Mall undergoes another failed renovation around 2020.
- Conor Oberst has one more classic album left in him (more of a hope than a prediction)

So, what do you think? Am I overly optimistic? Underestimating the city’s potential? Where do you see Omaha ten years from now?

[jelizh]

I bought my Morton Meadows home with the slight hope that everything UNMC is doing would eventually spark major development not only on N. Saddle Creek, but also on Leavenworth and S. Saddle Creek. There are so many underused lots and old brick buildings that could easily serve surrounding neighborhoods in more useful ways!

[bigredmed]

Interesting.

What about the advent of a pro sports team in Omaha?
I think something that may be interesting is the ghetto-fication of some areas of west O. Whole chunks of the west half of the city will slide into |expletive| and not return. Others will become home to people who never go east of 144th street because they never have to.

[RNcyanide]

I live in Chalco in a neighborhood with houses between 20-30 years old and a median price of about 110k. Some of the houses and properties are rather neglected. What my neighborhood has become now is a stepping stone for newlyweds, who then punch out a couple of kids and move further west for a bigger house. As such, a lot of upkeep on the exterior or the houses is neglected, siding is rotting, driveways are busted, shingles are peeling, lawns are unmowed and full of weeds, and in the case of a few homes, there is junk piling up along the sides. We called in one neighbor of ours who just moved in within the last year and they were hoarding |expletive|. Same neighbor also has several holes in their fence and dogs who love to escape and run around the neighborhood. Their solution? They literally took a log about 3 feet long and stuffed it into the hole.

Maybe the nicer neighborhoods further west won't have this problem, but you can also see it happening in the area around MSHS, in some places.

[bigredmed]

The houses in that area were the last generation of a home style aimed at single income families with a stay at home parent. They were not built very well. Lots of CSI houses that used the lowest quality materials that met code. Repairing these things can be a problem because of poor material and because they were often not built by actual carpenters.

[RNcyanide]

The houses in that area were the last generation of a home style aimed at single income families with a stay at home parent. They were not built very well. Lots of CSI houses that used the lowest quality materials that met code. Repairing these things can be a problem because of poor material and because they were often not built by actual carpenters.

Over 75% of the houses in these neighborhoods are split entries, which don't utilize space very effectively. We have one of the few ranches in our neighborhood. We've ran into some WTFs when remodeling parts of our house. One example is when we were replacing a bannister on the stairs, they used about an entire bottle of glue and no screws to hold it in place.

[bigredmed]

So, the CSI method was to assign two or three models to a block. They had pros build each model and then random workers copy each step. They would literally stop at points so the randoms could catch up. The houses got built fast, but not always right. Thus no more CSI.

Split entries were thought of as cool in the 70's because they weren't ranches. A split entry that is big enough to function like a ranch, is OK. The houses there are usually not. Split entries and split levels also are easier to fill in hills with. Get more of them on a given parcel than you can with ranches.

[nativeomahan]

Welcome to our online neighborhood, Taco.
I think your predictions are very well thought out. I can't find fault with any of them.

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

Welcome to our online neighborhood, Taco.
I think your predictions are very well thought out. I can't find fault with any of them.

I think the guys a little nutty. Predicting that an 80 year old man will be dead in 10 years is a little too much.


Then there was this pipe dream statement:

" North Downtown becomes an actual neighborhood that people live in bolstered by creative space and office redevelopment north of Cuming.

Aint happening anytime soon Mr Dream Weaver let alone in jsut 10 years! LOL!

[bigredmed]

Smucker: not cool. We all know that north Omaha has severe problems. We also know that the worst wounds are self inflicted. We also know that they have an all to penetrant habit of blaming others and using the government to coerce others into bailing them out.

What we don't know if what would happen if a new generation of leaders looked at their problems and tried a new path.

[Omaha_corn_burner]

Smucker: not cool. We all know that north Omaha has severe problems.

His post was not about north Omaha.

[Taco]

Welcome to our online neighborhood, Taco.
I think your predictions are very well thought out. I can't find fault with any of them.

I think the guys a little nutty. Predicting that an 80 year old man will be dead in 10 years is a little too much.


Then there was this pipe dream statement:

" North Downtown becomes an actual neighborhood that people live in bolstered by creative space and office redevelopment north of Cuming.

Aint happening anytime soon Mr Dream Weaver let alone in jsut 10 years! LOL!

1. I thought that may have been a little macabre, but it's something the city will have to deal with. Warren is certainly the city's most notable figure and the many omahan's who have made fortunes off of Berkshire have changed the city immensely with their support of city growth. Omaha without Warren will be very different indeed.

2. I thought that was one of my more likely predictions actually. Think of where North Downtown was ten years ago...the CLink had just been built and the area was a mixture of blight, crackhouses and parking lots. Now look at it. TD Ameritrade Park has spurred the growth of surrounding hotels and apartments and the CWS guarantees a huge economic event once a year. As for housing, the Yard development and Nichols Flats will add to the population, and those are only current developments. The Mastercraft building and hot shops already exist and there is a really great (but worn down) brick building stock in the area. In my mind that's a perfect situation for creative start-ups. With the development momentum related to the stadium and the yard, Creighton stockpiling property east of campus and the past history of the area, I think in ten years time, North Downtown will be quite functional. I'd like to know your thinking on why this will not be true, when I believe the proverbial ball is already rolling.

[Taco]

Welcome to our online neighborhood, Taco.
I think your predictions are very well thought out. I can't find fault with any of them.

Thanks, I'm not new though - just a long time lurker who finally decided to put some thoughts into words.

[GetUrban]

Welcome to our online neighborhood, Taco.
I think your predictions are very well thought out. I can't find fault with any of them.

I think the guys a little nutty. Predicting that an 80 year old man will be dead in 10 years is a little too much.


Then there was this pipe dream statement:

" North Downtown becomes an actual neighborhood that people live in bolstered by creative space and office redevelopment north of Cuming.

Aint happening anytime soon Mr Dream Weaver let alone in jsut 10 years! LOL!

1. I thought that may have been a little macabre, but it's something the city will have to deal with. Warren is certainly the city's most notable figure and the many omahan's who have made fortunes off of Berkshire have changed the city immensely with their support of city growth. Omaha without Warren will be very different indeed.

2. I thought that was one of my more likely predictions actually. Think of where North Downtown was ten years ago...the CLink had just been built and the area was a mixture of blight, crackhouses and parking lots. Now look at it. TD Ameritrade Park has spurred the growth of surrounding hotels and apartments and the CWS guarantees a huge economic event once a year. As for housing, the Yard development and Nichols Flats will add to the population, and those are only current developments. The Mastercraft building and hot shops already exist and there is a really great (but worn down) brick building stock in the area. In my mind that's a perfect situation for creative start-ups. With the development momentum related to the stadium and the yard, Creighton stockpiling property east of campus and the past history of the area, I think in ten years time, North Downtown will be quite functional. I'd like to know your thinking on why this will not be true, when I believe the proverbial ball is already rolling.

Taco, you'll have to forgive Mr. Smuckers...it doesn't appear he's been east of Millard for quite some time.

[MTO]

There's too much nuance involved in predicting ten years out. However in regards to the highways: I predict if road funding doesn't rebound Omaha will get its first toll-road. A tolled bypass from 80 near gretna (probably west) connected to JFK and 29. But the segment from Gretna to Elkhorn wont be given it won't get the volume of cross continental traffic as 80 does.

[daveoma]

There's too much nuance involved in predicting ten years out. However in regards to the highways: I predict if road funding doesn't rebound Omaha will get its first toll-road. A tolled bypass from 80 near gretna (probably west) connected to JFK and 29. But the segment from Gretna to Elkhorn wont be given it won't get the volume of cross continental traffic as 80 does.

Not a bad idea.

[Greg S]

One big challenge Omaha has going forward, population growth.

Greg

[MTO]

One big challenge Omaha has going forward, population growth.

Greg

I'm in agreence. We don't want it insanely rapid ala Texas but a bit faster would do us well.

[iamjacobm]

Lots of great ideas and thoughts here, welcome! I agree with a lot of the comments made so I will just address a couple I don't see the same way.

About the Leavenworth corridor. There is a lot of great property still available and being that close to major players like Nebraska Med and Midtown will be a big boost. I also see a lot of development along Leavenworth further east of 480. Add in a sneaky good asset like great interstate access and I could see the area continue to fly.

I also can't say enough that I have the upmost confidence in the Civic project. Any delays will be on the city side, not developer IMO.

I don't see N Saddle Creek ever being much more notable than it currently is. My keep an eye on district in the longer term is the area around 40th and Hamilton actually. It is pretty rough now, but still some great building stock that needs so TLC. My long shot idea is if the light industrial properties just north of Cuming would relocate like Boyd Jones is than that whole ~6 square block area could become a big new housing center with a new "main street" concept for the neighborhood.

[Midwestern]

My realistic wish-list:

1. More redevelopment between 20th & 28th street between Dodge & Harney -- that area is currently so desolate and un-inviting. The two Highline projects and the 24th & Farnam hotel are good first steps.

2. The 13th street corridor coming alive again. There is some good building stock there and that is a major corridor.

3. The big red box state building demolished and turned into a new mixed use development. It'd be nice to get rid of the Chamber of Commerce building for a mixed-use building too.

4. A large-scale supermarket/retail store downtown. Target, Hy-Vee, Bakers, Trader Joes, any would be fine. I don't see any reason why we can't have one or maybe even two of these by 2025.


Some additional unrealistic but potentially possible wish list items:

1. A new building in the 450-650 foot range. (Two First National Center?)

2. 10th street between Capitol and Jackson to be filled with buildings on both sides of the street.

3. ConAgra to stay in Omaha, but sell its current land/campus for re-development. Bonus points if they move to a new high rise. But soooo many possibilities for re-development on their current campus.

4. Mutual of Omaha to demolish their current building and build a new, taller headquarters.


And one last basically impossible dream wish list item:

1. The elevated portion of 480 between downtown and north downtown to be taken down and turned into a boulevard. This has been done in a few other cities but is probably impossible in this case for at least a couple more decades.

[Taco]

1. The elevated portion of 480 between downtown and north downtown to be taken down and turned into a boulevard. This has been done in a few other cities but is probably impossible in this case for at least a couple more decades.

Yes! This is in my top 5 dream projects for omaha. I agree with you though and think its a little too progressive/radical for the visible future.

If anyone's interested, here's a few quick examples of urban highway removal (pardon the listicle)
http://gizmodo.com/6-freeway-demolition ... 1548314937

[Louie]

1. The elevated portion of 480 between downtown and north downtown to be taken down and turned into a boulevard. This has been done in a few other cities but is probably impossible in this case for at least a couple more decades.

Yes! This is in my top 5 dream projects for omaha. I agree with you though and think its a little too progressive/radical for the visible future.

If anyone's interested, here's a few quick examples of urban highway removal (pardon the listicle)
http://gizmodo.com/6-freeway-demolition ... 1548314937

So where does that traffic go? I know in the link it said that people take different routes or options, but it seems like Omaha would have to up its mass transit game before freeway removal could occur.

[Coyote]

I believe they are advocating turning I-480 back into a Hwy 6 Boulevard, a removal of the elevated interstate, not the removal per se of that route. You could then, maybe, finally put a bridge across the Missouri north of the airport and connect the North Freeway with I-680 on the Iowa side ... Diverting the thru traffic that direction.

[Midwestern]

I believe they are advocating turning I-480 back into a Hwy 6 Boulevard, a removal of the elevated interstate, not the removal per se of that route. You could then, maybe, finally put a bridge across the Missouri north of the airport and connect the North Freeway with I-680 on the Iowa side ... Diverting the thru traffic that direction.

Yes, exactly.

I wonder how many cars per day cross the bridge and use the entire east-west elevated portion of 480.

[Taco]

And while we're on the topic, I think highway 75 would be a great "boulevardization" opportunity as well and open up a huge corridor for development. I think this is just as much of a pipe dream though.

[Midwestern]

And while we're on the topic, I think highway 75 would be a great "boulevardization" opportunity as well and open up a huge corridor for development. I think this is just as much of a pipe dream though.

Yeah, that one being turned into a boulevard is a looooong way off, if ever. It's a necessity to have at least one interstate running by/through your downtown core. The elevated portion of 480 I think could be absorbed by other routes within a decade or two, but highway 75 there's unfortunately no way.

I think connecting Creighton with downtown could really infuse the 20th through 24th area with a lot of energy, and obviously connecting north downtown with the Old Market is a no-brainer once the logistics of taking down 480 would work.

[Midwestern]

Something else I would possibly like to see in the future is for UNO to build a building or two downtown and start up a "Downtown Campus". A great many universities around the country have done this. I think I saw in the projects never built section some plans that mentioned UNO doing something downtown so it seems this idea has been floated around before. And just think....students could ride the BRT or streetcar from the main campus to the downtown campus.

[daveoma]

According to the MAPA website 496,000 on 480 east of North expressway interchange and 922,000 on 480 South of the interchange--average number of vehicles power day in 2012. That's a lot of traffic for a boulevard.

http://www.mapacog.org/images/stories/T ... p_2012.pdf

[Coyote]

And while we're on the topic, I think highway 75 would be a great "boulevardization" opportunity as well and open up a huge corridor for development. I think this is just as much of a pipe dream though.

I tried to find a map someone posted here on this but couldn't in a quick search.

If you diverted truck/interstate traffic away from Hwy 75/N. 30th thru Storz and the new Missouri Bridge to I-680, then you could Easily boulevard N. 30th which would hugely benefit Ft. Omaha to the Florence community, as a more pedestrian friendly neighborhood.

[Taco]

Oops, I don't know my street names very well. Specifically, 75 North of cuming all the way to Sorenson parkway is the area I was referring to. I think its a little superfluous (no traffic that a large boulevard couldn't handle), but the retrofitting would take ages.

I could see UNO with a graduate school or administration building downtown, it would be great from a branding perspective and if they really want to be Omaha instead of UNO. However, given the aptitude of UNO administration, it's a little too obvious of a solution for them to actually implement. Now that I think of it, I'm very surprised Creighton hasn't done this yet as well given their proximity.

[Coyote]

So Taco, you mean turning the North Freeway (Hwy 75) from the I-480 interchange to the Sorenson/Storz 'exits' into a Boulevard?

[Greg S]

Oops, I don't know my street names very well. Specifically, 75 North of cuming all the way to Sorenson parkway is the area I was referring to. I think its a little superfluous (no traffic that a large boulevard couldn't handle), but the retrofitting would take ages.

I could see UNO with a graduate school or administration building downtown, it would be great from a branding perspective and if they really want to be Omaha instead of UNO. However, given the aptitude of UNO administration, it's a little too obvious of a solution for them to actually implement. Now that I think of it, I'm very surprised Creighton hasn't done this yet as well given their proximity.

Didn't UNO try something downtown with the Kiewit Conference Center?

Greg

[bigredmed]

Oops, I don't know my street names very well. Specifically, 75 North of cuming all the way to Sorenson parkway is the area I was referring to. I think its a little superfluous (no traffic that a large boulevard couldn't handle), but the retrofitting would take ages.

I could see UNO with a graduate school or administration building downtown, it would be great from a branding perspective and if they really want to be Omaha instead of UNO. However, given the aptitude of UNO administration, it's a little too obvious of a solution for them to actually implement. Now that I think of it, I'm very surprised Creighton hasn't done this yet as well given their proximity.

Didn't UNO try something downtown with the Kiewit Conference Center?

Greg

Yes. A graduate school focused installation that was to feed the need of MBA seeking downtown workers. Didn't seem to work. They added undergrad classes to feed the need of North O and South O kids who couldn't make it all the way to 60th street. Didn't seem to work.

I can't imagine that UNO would want to go back there.

[Omaha Cowboy]

I've enjoyed reading through these posts on this topic and see some great imput.. I'll add my $.02 cents-

Regarding population, if current growth rates are maintained, Omaha's CSA will hit the 1 million mark by 2020, just in time for the next official U.S. Census.. The MSA will likely hit that mark about 3 years later (in 2023). How "fast" the Omaha area continues to grow will be determined by the economy and job creation. What I'd love to see, is Omaha to attract more companies with the will to expand (like Pay Pal in the late 90's etc) to open regional offices with the potential for hundreds of additional jobs. If Omaha stays diverse, and continues to stay ahead of the curve in trying to entice people from around the globe to relocate here, the growth to a 1 million MSA could come several years sooner. I'd also like to see perhaps an "everything old is new again" move made by original Omaha companies like First Data to relocate their company headquarters back to Omaha..

Pro sports for Omaha- 2 things have limited Omaha from getting a "major league" sports team- Television Market size and the willingness of the business community to step up to the plate. The TV market rating is very deceptive at #75. How is it that the 60th largest metro in the U.S. has a TV market ranking less than much smaller metros like Des Moines or Wichita, Ks? Nielsen and their ridiculous demographics which determine TV market size. If Omaha and Lincoln were combined, as I feel they should be, that 75 ranking would move up to a more realistic #45 (or there abouts).. Does Omaha have enough sustainable population and a facility to accommodate a big league team? For the NFL obviously no.. But for the NBA or NHL, I'd say yes and yes.. But this would also require the big time movers and shakers from the Omaha business community to step up BIG TIME and make a serious commitment.. Without this, a big league sports team for Omaha will not be possible..

I also hope for more downtown construction, sustainable living and a major grocery store in the core..

Keep the ideas coming!..

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[Taco]

So Taco, you mean turning the North Freeway (Hwy 75) from the I-480 interchange to the Sorenson/Storz 'exits' into a Boulevard?

Precisely. Not a huge priority, but I think it could be an interesting project to bring new energy into a part of omaha that needs it.

[Linkin5]

-Light rail will either be built or under construction
-the awful parking lots at 10th and Harney will be developed
-Creighton will keep tearing things down
-New 500 Foot tower at City library location
-MofO is going to do something big next to Midtown crossing
-Lot B will be developed spurring other developments and will actually be a neighborhood
-Baby Bob is built