[billiefan2000]

Building on South O's base
BY JEFFREY ROBB
THE WORLD-HERALD
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DiggNewsvinedel.icio.usRedditFacebookTwitterPRINT EMAIL South 24th Street can be even more lively with new shops, restaurants and a central market.

Along 13th Street, new shops and housing can improve the corridor's appearance and build up its activity so that it might support a streetcar.

Around South Omaha, a coordinated marketing campaign can convince people to give the community's shops and restaurants a try.

In rolling out its new development plan for South Omaha this week, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce proposed a series of smaller and mid-scale community development projects to give an already thriving community a boost.

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“There's not a grand, major project, but maybe a lot of more small, incremental steps,” said Doug Bisson, an urban planner for consultant HDR Inc. who helped develop the plan.

The plan, which has been in the works since last August, is meant to target job creation efforts and direct the use of private investment dollars and public incentives.

The effort is taking its first steps toward implementation with the hiring of Karen Mavropoulos as project coordinator. She has served as program director for Catholic Charities' microbusiness training and development program and already has worked with programs serving the area.

The chamber won't fund development projects, but instead hopes to be a catalyst by showing the area's potential and bringing groups together. The chamber raised private funds to support the plan's creation and outreach efforts, which cost $411,000.

Mavropoulos said South Omaha has a good base to build upon. The project's impact may not be immediately visible, she said, but small things will start to happen.

“Very good things can come to South Omaha,” she said.

The existing business success of South 24th Street and unmet demand for retail services present an opportunity for South Omaha, according to the plan.

But the plan specifies that South Omaha's retail expansion should focus on supporting small businesses, attracting complementary uses to what's in place and sustaining the retail vitality of South 24th Street.

The plan holds up South 24th Street as the community's retail core and social center.

Along 24th Street, the plan proposes a new mercado, or a central market, to house retail spaces for new shops. It would be on the site of the Plaza de la Raza, which the plan says is underused but could become a landmark venue.

The plan also proposes concentrating retail activity on 24th Street, not adjacent streets, and offering incentives for auto repair businesses to relocate off the corridor.

The community already is well-served by grocers, smaller markets and bakeries and restaurants, according to the plan. South Omaha may not have the space or shopping demand for larger retailers such as Walmart or Home Depot, the plan says.

For South Omaha residents, the plan indicates a need for more local furniture, electronics, clothing and sporting goods stores. The community also can capitalize more on its restaurant industry, which generates $11 million in sales annually from customers outside South Omaha.

One idea is to concentrate pushcarts and food trucks in a single site for a vendor's row.


The plan proposes protecting and restoring historic commercial centers.

One such corner is 10th and Bancroft Streets, and the plan suggests it could feature some new buildings, landscaping and plaza space to make it a gateway to the neighborhood and Lauritzen Gardens.

On 13th Street, the plan says the stretch that once featured a streetcar should “respect this historic context.” It suggests new multistory commercial and residential buildings that also incorporate plazas and green space.

The plan says South Omaha has limited land available for redevelopment, which will restrict options for new housing and industries. New housing needs to be small-scale and carefully designed to fit existing neighborhoods, the plan says, and an effort should be made to acquire potential new industrial sites.


whole article at Building on South O's base - Omaha.com

[tones]

24th street in South Omaha? Anyone been there lately? It's a foreign COUNTRY! Go one block east or west of the main drag and you've got boarded up houses and grafitti GALORE!!!! Why send our tax money to a community that won't ASSIMILATE to our culture! This waste of money is an OUTRAGE if it passes!!!

[pheaton]

Not a bad idea. I imagine big things for this area of town. This is the area of town I lived in when I was very young. I would love to see it spruced up and developed into a destination. I'm a big dreamer, but here is what I picture.

13th Street. I think the zoo area has great potential especially once the zoo acquires Rosenblatt's land. Make it more attractive to people from out of town. While they are in town for the World Series, they can take street cars to this area and visit the zoo and other surrounding stores and shops that can be added to this area.

As for 24th street, this might take more work. Mostly, it's just ran down looking. It seems like a lower income, working class hispanic area. It has potential to be great if it were cleaned up a bit. It could be more like a destination for authentic mexican food, groceries, gifts, etc.. Like going to Mexico without actually having to go there.

Vinton Street. They should add this to the list. There are cool buildings in this area and good potential too for redevelopment. It would make a neat way to connect a redeveloped 13th and 24th Street.

Combined, if they did the whole project correctly and added street cars. I imagine a spruced up area of town. Where people could take the street car and visit many unique places. From the zoo areas on 13th to the hispanic shops and restaurants on 24th, with many neat things along Vinton.. The street car can make several stops for people to get off and walk around and visit and hop back on the car to go to another location.

Just my small idea..

[tones]

24th street will be "Desitnation Don't Go Down There" no matter how much money they waste. This city has debt up the ying-yang for the Qwest center, new ballpark, and unfunded sewer mandate (a gift from the Democrats). It would be wonderful if it rained gumdrops and lollypops, but this city already has too much on our plate! Spend 250 million to get 15 million in federal dollars? That's no bargain.

[pheaton]

Originally Posted by tones

24th street will be "Desitnation Don't Go Down There" no matter how much money they waste. This city has debt up the ying-yang for the Qwest center, new ballpark, and unfunded sewer mandate (a gift from the Democrats). It would be wonderful if it rained gumdrops and lollypops, but this city already has too much on our plate! Spend 250 million to get 15 million in federal dollars? That's no bargain.

That's what I kind of like about this plan. There isn't any huge financial commitment. The money spent for the research was supposedly supported by private funds. It's more of an incentive. Make the plan, throw it out there, get everyone on board and make it happen.

Spread the cost of the project throughout the community. If all of the small business owners got on board, spend a little bit to spruce up their patch of community everything could be a lot better and attract more people from outside of that community, say from west Omaha perhaps. If the plan works; a little money spent now by the owners could be the spark the community needs to take off and for their business to be more successful than they ever imagined.

[laserdisque]

I really think that this is a great plan. South Omaha is just about my favorite neighborhood in the city. I love spending time there, and anything to make it even more lively would be great.

[laserdisque]

Originally Posted by tones

24th street will be "Desitnation Don't Go Down There" no matter how much money they waste. This city has debt up the ying-yang for the Qwest center, new ballpark, and unfunded sewer mandate (a gift from the Democrats). It would be wonderful if it rained gumdrops and lollypops, but this city already has too much on our plate! Spend 250 million to get 15 million in federal dollars? That's no bargain.

Go back to the wowt.com message board.

[tones]

Originally Posted by pheaton

That's what I kind of like about this plan. There isn't any huge financial commitment. The money spent for the research was supposedly supported by private funds. It's more of an incentive. Make the plan, throw it out there, get everyone on board and make it happen.

Spread the cost of the project throughout the community. If all of the small business owners got on board, spend a little bit to spruce up their patch of community everything could be a lot better and attract more people from outside of that community, say from west Omaha perhaps. If the plan works; a little money spent now by the owners could be the spark the community needs to take off and for their business to be more successful than they ever imagined.

I'm not talking about the money for the study -- it's the $250 million it will cost to put a streetcar in place that bugs me.

[tones]

Originally Posted by laserdisque

Go back to the wowt.com message board.

Oh, a fan? Don't worry, I'll continue to post there too.

[dsrich98]

Originally Posted by tones

24th street in South Omaha? Anyone been there lately? It's a foreign COUNTRY! Go one block east or west of the main drag and you've got boarded up houses and grafitti GALORE!!!! Why send our tax money to a community that won't ASSIMILATE to our culture! This waste of money is an OUTRAGE if it passes!!!

Wow. You are a terrible person.