Leavenworth/Park East

These two neighborhoods, each with its own association, run together from 36th Street to 20th Street (east/west) and from Dodge to Pacific/Leavenworth (north/south) and are separated by Interstate I-480. They have numerous parks including Turner Park adjacent to Mutual of Omaha; Dewey Park one block south, which has clay tennis courts; and Leavenworth Park. Mutual of Omaha is the major business in the area. In the southeast corner of Park East, the Drake Court apartment complex is being redeveloped as affordable and market-rate housing. Nearby, a transit barn is being renovated to house an elementary school while a new school building is under construction; it could have various uses after the school moves out. Park East also features an "art corridor" along 20th Street with the Children's Museum; a YMCA; the Rose Children's Theatre; and the Joslyn Museum. Leavenworth Street is business corridor with some undesirable uses and activities around 24th/25th & St. Mary's, and 22nd and Jones. There is potential for more retail throughout the neighborhoods.

Site A: Turner Park
Overall rating: 3 out of 5

Strengths: location - high visibility

Short-term improvements

Uses & Activities

• Play equipment

Comfort & Image

• more seating
  
• garden
  
• identify area no signage for Turner Park

Access & Linkages

• safer street crossings

Long-term improvements

Uses & Activities

• street vendors
  
• more activities - with local businesses to sponsor
  
• skate board park
  
• bike/rollerblade paths
  

Comfort & Image

• fountain
  
• bathroom
  
• pavilion/Central plaza
  
• lighting
  

Access & Linkages

• parking at Mutual of Omaha

Local Partnerships

• Condo owners' association
  
• Creighton
  
• Holiday Inn Express
  
• Jackson Academy
  
• Labor-Ready
  
• Mutual of Omaha (adopt-a-park?)
  
• Restaurants
  
• VFW or FOE
  
• Walgreen's

Site B: Children's Museum
Strengths: Older buildings - Close to downtown

Potential short-term improvements

Comfort & Image

• Landscaping in parking lot
  
• Landscaping along 20th street
  
• Banners
  
• Artwork: paintings and sculpture
  
• Street banners from Central High to the Museum
  

Access & Linkages

• Conduct study at parking lot at Children's Museum to reduce space required

Potential long-term improvements

Uses & Activities

• Inventory present businesses and buildings: recruit new businesses and help existing ones; encourage coffee shops, restaurants to foster a walkable, friendly area
  
• Convert Children's Museum parking lot to accommodate outdoor Museum/event use
  

Comfort & Image

• Landscaping to soften the area around 20th and St. Mary
  Access & Linkages
  
• Open up Children's Museum parking lot to improve building's visibility and create a people space in front of it
  
• Create connector between Children's Museum and the new elementary school across the street
  
• Convert one-way streets to two-way
  
• Create diagonal parking to slow traffic

Local Partnerships

• City of Omaha Planning Department
  
• community residents
  
• DARN
  
• developers
  
• historic preservation society
  
• neighborhood association
  
• planning board
  
• school district
  
• zoning agency

Site C: 31st/St. Mary's - Leavenworth
Overall rating: 2.25 out of 5

Strengths: much-needed green space - well-maintained - bright spot in busy area - location near school - human-scale environment - bus access

Potential short-term improvements

Comfort & Image

• improve playground
  
• remove fence
  
• replace grass with wood chips
  
• remove billboards
  
• accent lighting in the park
  
• decorative trash cans
  
• add benches
  
• plant trees on streets outside the garden to create a green connection
  

Access & Linkages

• restripe streets

Potential long-term improvements

Uses & Activities

• open restaurant or coffee shop near the school to create places around the school
  
• program community garden and events in parks in the surrounding area
  

Comfort & Image

• noise reduction
  

Access & Linkages

• enforce 30 mph speed limit by redesigning street for desired speed
  
• turn Leavenworth Street into a two-way street
• calm traffic and reduce traffic volume
  
• wider and flatter sidewalks

Local Partnerships

• City of Omaha OPPD
  
• Hispanic community
  
• neighborhood businesses
  
• property owners
  
• youth groups