SEPTEMBER2007
IN THIS ISSUE

Groundbreaking Code Package Passes, Next Steps Begin

Design Team Selected for Maple Street Corridor Project

Unveiling of Florence Master Plan Sept. 19

Omaha Green Roof Market Development Symposium Oct. 25

A Creation Making Place

Pair of Place Game Workshops Set

Omaha by Design on the Road
Omaha by Design will be fostering the development and image of Omaha as a green city, depicted by this topographic diagram.
Groundbreaking Code Package Passes, Next Steps Begin

Aug. 14, 2007, marked a turning point in the physical development of Omaha.

On that date, the Omaha City Council voted 7-0 to approve a groundbreaking package of revisions and additions to the city’s zoning and subdivision codes that give legal authority to the Urban Design Element, a planning tool designed to improve the quality of development in Omaha while protecting and enhancing the city’s natural environment.

The Element, developed with citizen input, contains 73 recommendations that center on three components: Green Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the city’s natural setting and public park system; Civic Omaha, which seeks to define and improve the city’s civic places and public image; and Neighborhood Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the diverse character of the city’s neighborhoods.

Mayor Mike Fahey called the package of revisions and additions “visionary,” noting that its passage will positively impact the city’s livability, the visual impression it creates and the sense of community it offers residents and visitors in the years ahead.

The historic vote also marks a turning point in the work program of Omaha by Design.  The privately funded nonprofit organization, an initiative of the Omaha Community Foundation, has moved from managing the development of the Urban Design Element to managing the process that led to its codification to managing its next area of emphasis, which is threefold.

The first component, said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, is supporting the City of Omaha Department of Planning’s efforts to map specific Areas of Civic Importance (ACI) throughout the city by engaging the affected businesses and homeowners in the process. The ACI designation, which the council approved, is a zoning overlay designed to preserve and strengthen a sense of place in image-forming parts of the city. The planning department is currently working to map the city’s first Area of Civic Importance along 10th Street.

The second component, Spellman said, is fostering the development and image of Omaha as a green city.  Mike McMeekin, president of Lamp, Rynearson and Associates, has joined the Omaha by Design Advisory Committee to help shape the organization’s focus on sustainability as it relates to the environment, low-impact development and green buildings.

The third component, Spellman said, is identifying and executing new projects that continue the implementation of the Urban Design Element’s 73 recommendations. For example, research has begun on the development of pilot projects along Cole Creek in north central Omaha. At present, the creek’s function is erosion and flood control. The pilots will explore the use of best management practices for water quality, stream restoration and stormwater management to help transform this waterway into an environment that maximizes the potential of the creek system.

“Public/private collaboration was the key to the successful development of the Urban Design Element and its codification,” Spellman said.  “The continuation of this integrated approach to creating a better Omaha is as important today as it was when our organization was founded in 2001.”

The conclusion of 2007 also will mark the completion of two major Omaha by Design projects - the creation of a Streetscape Handbook and the development of a catalogue of urban design philanthropy, the latter in collaboration with the Omaha Community Foundation. 

The nonprofit also continues to manage the development of the Benson-Ames Alliance and offer its Place Game and Place Definition workshops to neighborhood and civic groups throughout the metro.

For more information, contact Spellman at 402.342.3458 or connie@omahabydesign.org.

[top of the page]
The Omaha Public Library’s Benson Branch at 60th and Maple is one of the civic cornerstones of the Maple Street Corridor.

Design Team Selected for
Maple Street Corridor Project

For residents and business owners in Benson, the Maple Street Corridor is more than just a way to move traffic. It’s the front door to their neighborhood, a place that reflects their history, values and way of life.

Starting this fall, a local team of planning and design consultants will build upon this sense of place in conjunction with the first priority project of the Benson-Ames Alliance. The alliance, formed in September 2005 to plan for and implement the revitalization of the Benson-Ames area, is bound by Western Avenue on the south, Sorensen Parkway on the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard on the east and 72nd Street on the west.

Omaha by Design, in conjunction with the Benson-Ames Alliance Steering Council, is working with the Benson Business Association, the Benson Neighborhood Association and the City of Omaha Departments of Planning and Public Works to plan streetscape improvements to the Maple Street Corridor from Radial Highway to 63rd Street. 

The project also includes a housing and retail market analysis of the Benson area.

“Our intent is to create a consistent, attractive and unique appearance to our portion of Maple Street,” said Troy Arthur, president of the Benson Business Association and a member of the alliance’s Finance/Development Committee.

RDG Planning and Design, the Robert Peters Company and Ehrhardt Griffin & Associates have been retained to move the streetscape component of the project forward. The work will occur in three phases – schematic design, design development, and construction documentation and implementation. The scope of work for Phase I includes the thematic design for landscaping, pedestrian-scale street lights, signage, pavement and traffic control. Future opportunities may exist for modifications and improvements to Benson’s building stock, said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design.

The market analysis will consider new development opportunities as well as strategies for enhancing existing uses. 

Partial funding for the project is made possible by Mayor Mike Fahey and the City of Omaha. The project is also the recipient of a $15,000 grant from the Gifford Foundation Inc.

Spellman said the planning and design team will host presentation meetings to update alliance stakeholders on the specifics and progress of the project.

For more information about the Benson-Ames Alliance, visit www.benson-ames.org. For more information about the Maple Street Corridor Project, contact Spellman at 402.342.3458 or connie@omahabydesign.org.

[top of the page]

The gazebo in Florence Park was a community gathering spot, and the Florence Band played there on special occasions.  Different incarnations of the band continued this practice until the onset of World War II.

Unveiling of Florence Master Plan Sept. 19

Florence is planning for its future by tapping into the resources of its historic past. 

Florence Futures Inc., in conjunction with Mayor Mike Fahey, Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, BCDM and Olsson Associates will unveil a new master plan for the area Wednesday, Sept. 19.  The public announcement will begin at 10 a.m. at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, 13th and Harney.

Florence Futures Inc., a dedicated group of local leaders with a vision to enhance their community, kicked off a fund-raising campaign in November 2005 to finance the development of a master plan.  A total of $210,000 was raised in 12 months, including a grant from the Iowa West Foundation.

In December 2006, Florence Futures Inc. awarded the master plan contract to BCDM and Olsson Associates.

For more information about Florence Futures Inc., visit www.historicflorence.org.

[top of the page]

Omaha Green Roof Market
Development Symposium Oct. 25

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, in conjunction with the City of Omaha and Douglas County, will host a one-day green roof market development symposium Thursday, Oct. 25.

The event will be held on the Fort Omaha campus of Metropolitan Community College in Building 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Because the nature and extent of green roof benefits vary from region to region, technical research is required at the local level to understand the performance and regional scale benefits specific to the Omaha metropolitan area.

The symposium will feature morning sessions, case studies, afternoon focus groups and the development of an Omaha Green Roof Action Plan.  The morning session will introduce participants to the basic principles of green roofs, including the components and types of green roof systems.  Case studies of green roof projects will follow, exploring topics such as the challenges of upkeep, energy benefits and stormwater management.  The focus group sessions, facilitated by city and county staff, will help describe the obstacles associated with green roof implementation.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is registered with the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, the Roof Consultants Institute and the American Planning Association as a provider of continuing professional education programs.

To register, visit www.greenroofs.org.  For more information, contact Jennifer Sprout at 416.971.4494 or jsprout@greenroofs.org.

[top of the page]

The KANEKO at 11th and Jones as it will appear from above.

A Creation Making Place

By choice or by chance, public places mean something. They may honor or memorialize, preserve aspects of our culture, recall history, or simply encourage us to play and have fun.

Internationally acclaimed artist Jun Kaneko is building a new space with a huge meaning and broad expanse of spirit. The new facility, named simply KANEKO, is a gift to Omaha and the region. The space, located at 11th and Jones in the Old Market, sets out to do nothing less than celebrate the creative spirit that launched the city 150 years ago and lives on to this day.

KANEKO is a place for visitors to discuss and experience creativity. Born of the artist’s desire to nurture the creative spark inherent in all of us, the new space will facilitate learning to see things is new ways, developing creative instincts and fostering cross pollination of new ideas in the arts, science and philosophy.

KANEKO will focus on:

The northwest corner of the new KANEKO facility.
The new, vibrant urban environment is expected to attract scientists, engineers, designers and others to create causes, exchange ideas, and explore and understand more about the importance and responsibility of living in a creative cultural environment.

Architect Mark Mack’s design for the 75,000 square-foot facility includes renovation and preservation of the former Fairmont Creamery integrated with new structures and outdoor gardens. KANEKO will open in the spring of 2010.

For more information, visit www.thekaneko.org.

[top of the page]

Pair of Place Game Workshops Set

Omaha by Design is bringing its Place Game workshop to two vital areas of the city in the coming weeks – the Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association in Midtown Omaha and the Long School Neighborhood Association in North Omaha.  The details of each event are listed below.

Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association
The Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association (JCNA) will host a Place Game workshop Thursday, Sept. 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants will meet at The Cornerstone Mansion, 140 N. 39th Street. Registration will begin at 6:15 p.m., and refreshments will be provided.

Running from Dodge to Cuming and from 38th to Saddle Creek, the JCNA is home to some of Nebraska’s most treasured architectural landmarks, including its namesake, Joslyn Castle, and St. Cecilia Cathedral. The workshop will focus on three neighborhood areas - the intersection of 40th and California, the intersection of 38th and Dodge, and the intersection of Saddle Creek and California.

During the 1960s, the Fair Deal Café was a popular gathering spot for community activists. 
Long School Neighborhood Association, OEDC
The Long School Neighborhood Association (LSNA), in conjunction with the Omaha Economic Development Authority (OEDC), will host a Place Game workshop Saturday, Oct. 6.  Participants will meet at the OEDC, 2221 N. 24th St., from 9 to 11 a.m.  Registration will begin at 8:45 a.m., and refreshments will be provided.

The LSNA is bordered by Hamilton Street on the south, Lake Street on the north, 27th Street on the west and 24th Street on the east.  The workshop will focus on three areas – the intersection of 26th and Blondo, 24th Street from Franklin to Seward, and the site of the former Fair Deal Café at 2118 N. 24th St.  During the 1960s, the Fair Deal Café was a popular gathering spot for community activists. 

During a Place Game workshop, trained Omaha by Design facilitators lead small groups through a series of sites selected for analysis, asking them to take note of what they see, hear and feel. The groups then convene for a brainstorming session to identify opportunities for improving the sites.

“You don’t have to be an expert in urban planning to participate in the Place Game process,” said Teresa Gleason, program manager at Omaha by Design.

For more information on how to schedule a Place Game Workshop for your neighborhood or organization, contact Gleason at 402.342.3458 or teresa@omahabydesign.org.

[top of the page]
Omaha by Design on the Road

Omaha by Design will be taking its experiences in managing the development and codification of comprehensive design standards for the City of Omaha on the road this fall.  The details of each event are listed below.

Sioux City Enhancement Committee
Siouxland Chamber of Commerce
Sioux City, Iowa
Sept. 14, 2007

Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, will discuss how cities can establish general building covenants in downtown areas as well as the process for working with the appropriate authorities to develop and implement these standards.

HDR
Lunch and Learn Session
Omaha, NE
Oct. 3, 2007

Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, will discuss what the codification of the Urban Design Elements means in a lunch ‘n learn setting. Local firms interested in setting up a similar session should contact Spellman at 402.342.3458 or connie@omahabydesign.org.

Greening Spaces 2007
AIA Nebraska Fall Conference
Oct. 17-18, 2007
Embassy Suites, Lincoln, NE

Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, and other ObD speakers will participate in a panel session titled “Design Standards Shaping Nebraska.” Lincoln’s 2015 Vision Group, which is committed to enhancing the quality of life in the capitol city, has identified 10 “pillars” to Lincoln’s future. The speakers will discuss their experiences in improving their communities and how architects can take a leading role in these processes.

[top of the page]


obddesignline, Omaha by Design’s e-newsletter, is published the second Wednesday of each month.  To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you have questions, comments or ideas for people and places to feature in future articles, please send them to teresa@omahabydesign.org or call 402.342.3458.

VISIT THE OMAHA BY DESIGN WEB SITE