|
11th Street Place Game Workshop
On November 16, 2002, the Old Market Business Association
and Lively Omaha jointly sponsored a Place Game Workshop with
Old Market businesses and residents. The purpose of the gathering
was to brainstorm new ideas for the 11th Street corridor from
Farnam to Leavenworth. A major part of that meeting was
The
Place Game
, lead by Lively Omaha Facilitators along the
11th Street.
Lively Omaha joined with the Old Market Business Association's
member businesses to promote and conduct the Workshop. This
is the initial project of Lively Omaha and we are fortunate
to have the OMBA as a partner in this endeavor.
The
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art hosted the event at their
12th and Leavenworth facility. Lively Omaha facilitators and
Place Game participants boarded the new Retro Bus provided
for the Workshop by Metro Area Transit and were dropped off
along 11th Street. They held observation sessions at each
of 7 sites between Farnam and Leavenworth. The teams then
returned to the Bemis center for brainstorming sessions.
Omaha's Old Market is one the state's most visited attractions
by both tourists and residents. It has been a gathering place
for generations of Omahan's from the 1960's through the present
day.
In the 1950s Omaha's westward expansion brought radical change
to grocery marketing that had been the main activity in the
area for more that half a century. Sam Mercer, threatened
with building condemnation notices, proposed to rescue his
family's red brick warehouses by renovating them for new uses.
Mercer said, "We knew these warehouses had possibilities,
and to tear them down to construct contemporary buildings
would have been like painting over the Mona Lisa." Preservation
and maintenance of the architectural integrity of the buildings
remains a guiding principle.
The Old Market works because it manifests many of the characteristics
of great public spaces. Signage provides good information
about access and links throughout the area. Distinctive lighting,
landscaping and architecture make the area comfortable and
give it a unique image. Cobblestone, two-way streets, diagonal
parking and outdoor seating make the sidewalks comfortable
and lend themselves to socializing, street performance and
other activities.
Lively Omaha and the Old Market Business Association selected 11th Street for improvement because of the many building and development projects nearby including the Convention Center Arena, the
Holland
Performing Arts Center and the Riverfront development. The Old Market will increase in importance to visitors and residents and lies in a key corridor for Omaha's future.
The district's importance to Omaha past and future as well
as the commitment of the Old Market Business Association's
membership made 11th Street a prime candidate for the Place
Game process and follow-up suggestions and recommendations
to improve one of Omaha's great public spaces.
Several major themes emerged from the sessions. Those themes
are presented below followed by the observations and recommendations
of each of the Place Game Teams
Emerging
Themes
Specific short-term and long-term improvement ideas were developed
by each team at the sessions for all the sites visited. The
concepts for each segment of 11th Street are presented here
moving from north to south.
11th
Street & Farnam Area
11th Street &
Harney Area
11th Street &
Howard Area
11th Street &
Jackson Area - West Side
11th
Street & Jackson Area - East Side
11th Street &
Jones Area
11th Street &
Leavenworth Area
In addition to improvement ideas, Place Game participants
came up with organizations and groups that might be interested
in becoming partners to help implement their place making
suggestions.
Local
Partners
For more information about Lively Omaha
and the Place Game, email
connie@livelyomaha.org
.
|
