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Leahy Mall/11th Street Project
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Project Overview
Find out why Lively Omaha is developing a new vision for the Mall and 11th Street, who is working on the project and the new perspectives that came out of recent Place Games.
(Click Here)
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Situation Analysis
Read about the fact finding and analysis on the Mall and 11th Street and see pictures of the first public input sessions.
(Click Here)
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Leahy Mall/11th Street Project Overview
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The Gene Leahy Mall and the Old Market have been the catalysts of downtown Omaha’s revitalization for nearly 40 years. They are two of the city’s most successful and recognizable public spaces.
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The Mall and Old Market have profoundly affected the downtown scene. Businesses have returned, gleaming new buildings have sprouted including the First National Tower, the Qwest Center Omaha, and soon the Holland Performing Arts Center. The Old Market continues to buzz with activity and there are thousands of new apartments and condos with more on the way.
All these changes have led Lively Omaha to take another look at the area and ask how can we extend and complement the success of the Old Market? Can the entire area be more comfortable for visitors, workers and residents who move through it primarily on foot? How can the Mall be more attractive and better utilized?
New perspectives have emerged from citizen input during two Lively Omaha Place Games and two American Institute of Architects charrettes. You can see the place game results by clicking on these links:
Northeast Downtown Place Game
Place Game on 11th Street
Lively Omaha has created the Leahy Mall / 11th Street Committee to begin developing new concepts for an enhanced Mall and for it’s role as a pedestrian connection from the W. Dale Clark Library, to the Qwest Center and from the Holland Performing Arts Center to the Old Market.
Elwin Larson
, Executive Vice President, HDR, Inc. has been appointed Chairman of the committee.
Committee members include:
Larry Foster
, City of Omaha Parks, Recreation and Public Property Department
George Haecker
, Bahr, Vermeer and Haecker Architects
Norm Jackman
, City of Omaha Public Works Department
Pat McDermott
, Delice European Bakery and Old Market Merchants Association
Jan Savoie
, Leopard Incorporated and Downtown Omaha Inc.
Connie Spellman
, Lively Omaha
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To help develop a new vision, the committee reviewed proposals from nine nationally recognized landscape design and planning firms. After meeting with representatives of three of the firms, the Committee selected Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVAA) of Cambridge, MA and New York, NY.
MVVA has directed the design and construction of more than 350 landscapes for institutional, public and private clients across the United States and in Canada, France and Korea. Some of their projects include: Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan, Downtown Columbus Riverfront Park, Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House and Allegheny Riverfront Park in Pittsburgh. You can find out more about MVVA at
www.mvvainc.com
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11th Street Mall Project Area |
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MVVA is charged with the development of a community vision based on Place Games, charrettes and additional community input. They will prepare a concept plan for the area based on that vision. The work will focus on enhancing the environment of 11th Street from Leavenworth north to Farnam. The corridor will serve as a pedestrian friendly street model for the expanded Old Market Area.
The plan will also consider improvements to the Gene Leahy Mall that will enhance connection, utilization, maintenance and the perception of safety.
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| Mall View From NW |
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Leahy Mall/11th Street Situation Analysis
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On October 7, three public input sessions were held at the Peter Kiewit Conference Center in downtown to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both the Mall and 11th Street.
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The discussion focused on three basic themes:
• Park circulation and
urban connections
• Activity and
programming
• Safety and comfort.
Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates (MVVA) summarized and illustrated their fact finding with presentations, drawings and a scale model.
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Over 100 people attended the sessions and offered their input and suggestions to aid the planners in creating a new vision for the area.
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Gene Leahy Mall Analysis
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MVVA used a host of photographs and measurements of to assess the existing situation.
Park Use Totals
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Usable Sloped Landscape--------------10%
Level Grass------------------------------------2%
Water-------------------------------------------22%
Buildings----------------------------------------9%
Steep or Inaccessible Landscape----20%
Hardscape and Paths---------------------37%
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12% |
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| 88% |
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93% of the water on the Mall is still water.
Walls
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There is 4,500 linear feet of walls, 3,400 feet of freestanding walls and 1,100 feet of retaining walls.
Blind Corners
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(above)
There are approximately 50 blind corners in the Mall.
(right)
Example of a blind corner near 10th and Farnam.
(below)
15 of the 18 entrances to the Mall are associated with blind corners. |
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Visual Access from the Street into the Mall
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The majority of the Mall cannot be seen from the street primarily because of the combination of vegetation, walls and steep slopes.
The best views into the Mall are from the 11th and 13th Street bridges. |
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Low branched deciduous trees and evergreens branched to the ground create a lack of visual access into the Mall.
Seating |
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Places to sit in the Mall are few.
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11th Street Analysis
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| 11th Street Zones |
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| 11th Street Challenge |
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How do the zones along 11th street relate to each other and the Mall?
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Visual Impressions from Leavenworth to Farnam |
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Street widths vary from one part of the Old Market to another.
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Between Jones and Leavenworth and again between Harney and Farnam the East side of 11th street has parking lots that lack facades consistent with the architecture in the district
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Public input gathered at the sessions will be integrated with the analysis and MVVA with return with recommendations in early 2005.
If you would like to comment or add your own suggestions about the new vision for 11th Street and the Leahy Mall click the link below to send an email to Lively Omaha.
Comments and Suggestions
Back to the top of the page
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Photos by Ken Mayer
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