Jim Vokal - Downtown Omaha Plan 031609

Downtown Omaha: A Vision for a Lively Core and Riverfront Jim Vokal’s 10 Point Plan: 1. The Pedestrian Link - Construct a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks to connect the riverfront with North Downtown. This bridge would: • Provide direct pedestrian access to the riverfront and Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge for current and future residents/employees/students of North Downtown, Downtown, and Creighton University. • Addresses the existing need for additional parking along the riverfront by providing a link to designated parking areas. • Reduce the amount of park space required for future development in North Downtown by linking the burgeoning district with the significant amount of open space provided along both sides of the river. 2. Destination | Riverfront – Develop additional retail, restaurants, and boat docking facilities along the riverfront in order to enliven and further enhance the corridor as a destination. • Identify remaining developable parcels (both city-owned and private) and encourage retail and restaurant development. • Focus on “destination” oriented uses to draw people during non-peak times. • Provide additional boat docking facilities to accommodate increased demand brought about by enhanced riverfront. 3. The Golden Triangle – Encourage the redevelopment of this prime riverfront site located at the apex of the area’s three major rail corridors. This site is ideal for a stand-alone corporate headquarters or a new mixed-use neighborhood, thereby benefiting the adjacent neighborhood. Access to the site could be enhanced by extending Leavenworth Street to the site. • Redevelopment of a Brownfield site to a higher and better use. • Enhanced access provided by extending Leavenworth Street under the U.P. mainline bridge. • Use transitions from heavy industrial to corporate or a mixed-use neighborhood • Eliminates heavy truck traffic through the existing residential neighborhood located to the west. 4. Station Commons – Redevelop the excess rail yard property located between the mainline U.P. railroad tracks and the Durham Museum into a grand community asset. • Take advantage of a prime, underutilized site located adjacent to a key community asset. • Develop the site with residential and “destination” retail/restaurant uses. • Focus these uses on a grand civic feature, such as a park, plaza, or other defining feature. • Develop remainder of site with parking to satisfy “district” needs. 5. Burlington Village – Develop the area adjacent to Burlington Station with additional residential uses in order to enhance the existing neighborhood redevelopment efforts and provide sufficient critical mass for the sustainable redevelopment of this formerly grand landmark. • Relocate existing Amtrak operations into the track level of Burlington Station, thus opening up a large portion of the site for future redevelopment. • Redevelop the now cleared site into a new neighborhood with homes at a variety of price levels. • Commercial parking requirements may be met by district parking created for the Station Commons project.

6. Sparkling Centerpiece – Gene Leahy Mall was developed as Omaha’s postcard green space and served as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment. Over the years, the mall has lost some of its luster. Building upon recent efforts, the mall will be further evaluated to determine how best to return it to its former prominence. • Determine the best course of action to return the Gene Leahy Mall to its former prominence. • Require that all new development of property that fronts onto the mall have street level activity and/or active uses. 7. Muddy Mo Promenade – Develop a boardwalk for strolling along the Missouri River from Heartland of America Park to Lewis and Clark Landing. • The boardwalk will provide a continuous riverfront connection from Miller’s Landing south to the Golden Triangle. • It will fill a critical gap in Omaha’s riverfront trail system. • The promenade will help hide the existing rail corridor and provide another much needed opportunity for residents to connect with the Missouri River, as opposed to viewing it from an overlook. 8. Next Gen Neighborhood – Develop languishing blocks surrounding the Joslyn Art Museum/Central High School campus into a new mixed-income neighborhood focused on arts and academia. • Determine the future highest and best use for the Civic Auditorium site and surrounding blocks, with an eye towards phased redevelopment that will produce a mixed-use neighborhood. th th • Develop a mix of urban residential units on the “long blocks” located between 20 and 24 Streets, Dodge Street to Harney Street. • Encourage residential development on the “hilltop” located adjacent to Physician’s Mutual. 9. Omaha Live – Develop an exciting downtown entertainment district connecting Slowdown, Qwest Center Omaha, and the Omaha Baseball Stadium. • Link some of downtown’s most popular uses with a mix of retail, restaurant, and entertainment uses. • Provide a draw for local residents and convention goers. • Further enhance North Downtown as a destination during the “down time” between major events. • Link to and supplement the Old Market. 10. “”Play It” Downtown – Develop a youth tournament sports district on the former U.P. rail yard site. • Developed as a cost-effective interim use until a new corporate headquarters can be built on the site. • Multiple tournament caliber fields (soccer, baseball, softball, etc.) for regional and national weekend tournaments. • Draws significant number of families to downtown hotels, restaurants, and shops on weekends (compliments business traveler demand, which occurs during the week). • Compliments other downtown facilities, including Qwest Center Omaha, the Omaha Baseball Stadium, Morrison Soccer Stadium, the Civic Auditorium, and Central High School’s Seeman Stadium.