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Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area,
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline of Chicago Street on the north, also including the CHI Health Center Omaha. Downtown sits on the Missouri River, with commanding views from the tallest skyscrapers. Dating almost to the city's inception, downtown has been a popular location for the headquarters of a variety of companies. The Union Pacific Railroad has been headquartered in Omaha since its establishment in 1862. Once the location of 24 historical warehouses, Jobbers Canyon Historic District was the site of many import and export businesses necessary for the settlement and development of the American West. Today dozens of companies have their national and regional headquarters in downtown Omaha. The area is home to more than 30 buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
, along with two historic districts. Downtown Omaha was also the site of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District, all 24 buildings of which were demolished in 1989, representing the largest single loss of buildings to date from the National Register.Gratz, R.B. (1996) ''Living City: How America's Cities Are Being Revitalized by Thinking Small in a Big Way.'' John Wiley and Sons. p. V.


History

Downtown Omaha was the location of the settlement of the city. William D. Brown's Lone Tree Ferry landing was the site of Omaha's first development. In 2004 a map expert using
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
and old maps identified a location near Gallup University as the location of the ferry landing. Omaha Central High School, located at 124 North 20th Street, is on the site where the city's founders first met on July 4, 1854 for a celebration to found the city. Much of Omaha's grim history happened downtown, as well. The Douglas County Courthouse was twice the location of racially motivated lynchings. The first occurred when George Smith, a local worker, was accused of raping a white woman and dragged from the jail in the courthouse to his death. The second was the mass mob murder of Willy Brown in 1919, in which Mayor Ed Smith was lynched and almost murdered as well. The event, coordinated by
city boss In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous off ...
Tom Dennison, was in retaliation of Smith's reform administration. Dennison operated a private bank at 1409 Douglas Street, bankrolling a number of illegal operations throughout the city. He was likely in control of the city's Sporting District, a downtown neighborhood where debauchery of all sorts took place. Today the highlight of downtown's social scene, the Old Market was once a
warehouse district This is a list of notable warehouse districts. A warehouse district or warehouse row is an area found in many urban setting known for being the current or former location of numerous warehouses. Logistically, warehouses are often located in indust ...
on par with the Jobbers Canyon. Torn down in 1989, Jobbers Canyon was a large area of warehouses in which much of Omaha's industrial wealth was made. Other historical areas downtown included Chinatown, the Burnt District and the Sporting District. The latter two areas were locations for much of the
crime in Omaha Crime in Omaha, Nebraska has varied widely, ranging from Omaha's early years as a frontier town with typically widespread gambling and prostitution, to civic expectation of higher standards as the city grew, and contemporary concerns about violent ...
in the late 19th century and early 20th century.


Neighborhoods

Downtown Omaha is generally thought of as a large neighborhood itself; however, currently and historically within it are several distinct areas. The Old Market Historic District has been rehabilitated into boutique shops, offices and loft residential units. On the south edge of downtown bordering
Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...
, the Burlington Station is one of the buildings in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District that has been renovated into residential apartments.


North Downtown

A new
mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to som ...
development, North Downtown extends 80 blocks, from the campus of
Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
to the CenturyLink Center and new developments along the Missouri River. The boundaries are Seward Street on the north, I-480 on the south, 17th Street to the west and Riverfront Drive on the east. The area comprising NoDo is central to the
history of Omaha The history of Omaha, Nebraska, began before the settlement of the city, with speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa staking land across the Missouri River illegally as early as the 1840s. When it was legal to claim land in Indian Co ...
. Along the river, Miller's Landing was the site where the Lone Tree Ferry brought settlers from Iowa. The early Territorial Legislature platted Scriptown in the area. The historic neighborhood of Squatter's Row and the city's notorious prostitution alleyway,
The Cribs The Cribs are a British indie rock band originally from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, that formed in 2001. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths guit ...
, were located here. Today the area includes the new
Slowdown A slowdown ( UK: go-slow) is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. A slowdown may be used as either a prelude or an alternative to a stri ...
venue. The new
TD Ameritrade Park Charles Schwab Field Omaha (formerly TD Ameritrade Park Omaha) is a baseball park in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 2011, the stadium serves as a replacement for historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Charles Schwab Field has a seating capacity of 24,0 ...
opened in April 2011 near CenturyLink Center as the new home of the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
and
Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
baseball. The area also includes national retail such as Urban Outfitters and
American Apparel American Apparel Inc. is an online-only retailer and former brick-and-mortar stores operator based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Canadian businessman Dov Charney in 1989, it was a vertically integrated company that ranked as one of the ...
and several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. The Hot Shops Art Center is located here where local artists have work on display. Three new hotels have recently opened;
Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...
, Homewood Suites, and a Hampton Inn & Suites; these are in addition to the Hilton Omaha already located across from the CenturyLink Center. Several buildings have also been renovated into apartments and condos. The Missouri River riverfront is the eastern boundary of NoDo where millions in redevelopment has taken place in recent years. The city has created a new boardwalk, walking trails, and the Lewis & Clark Landing which connect to the Heartland of America Park and, in-conjunction, host several of Omaha's annual festivals, like the Taste of Omaha. A city marina has opened for Missouri River boaters and Rick's Boatyard is a nautical theme restaurant that opened on the boardwalk in November 2002. Buildings along the riverfront include the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
Midwest Regional Office and Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail visitors center, The Gallup Organization operational headquarters, Gallup University Campus, and two residential towers, RiverFront Place Condos. Near these buildings is the 3,000 ft footbridge, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The movement in Omaha to reintroduce street cars is led by former mayor
Hal Daub Harold John Daub Jr. (born April 23, 1941) is an American lawyer and politician from Nebraska who served four terms in the United States House of Representatives and as the 48th Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. In 2012, Daub was elected to the Board of R ...
. The proposed streetcars would cost $55 million and run in a loop through Downtown Omaha and NoDo. The system would cost about $2 million per year to operate and would serve almost 7,000 passengers in its first year. One route would run the cars from Creighton University near 20th and Webster streets, proceeding east to 10th Street, passing by the CenturyLink Center and moving south to Jackson Street in the Old Market. After that it would then move west to 16th Street and then north to Farnam before returning to 10th Street.


Park East

This neighborhood is considered the gateway to Downtown Omaha. Although, due to its tall buildings and proximity to downtown, most Omaha citizens consider this area to be part of the downtown central district. The area runs from 20th street on the east to 28th street on the west and from Dodge street to the north and Leavenworth to the south. The neighborhood, situated between Midtown Omaha and Downtown, is home to several historic buildings as well as some of Omaha's tallest buildings. The area has some of Omaha's major art institutions such as the
Joslyn Art Museum The Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States. Located in Omaha, it was opened in 1931 at the initiative of Sarah H. Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George A. Joslyn. It is the only m ...
, the Omaha Children's Museum, and the Rose Theater. There are still major employers in the area, such as Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, but there is also evidence of better days gone past such as the now vacant Northern Natural Gas Building. Omaha's Destination Midtown has been working to restore the area in recent years, as well as other Midtown neighborhoods, and evidence of revitalization can be seen in newly restored condos and apartments in the area. As of 2004, an elementary school, Liberty Elementary, has been established to serve the growing downtown population. Home to the original
Nebraska State Capitol The Nebraska State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Nebraska and is located in downtown Lincoln. Designed by New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue in 1920, it was constructed of Indiana limestone from 1922 to 19 ...
, the Park East neighborhood has hosted several significant historical buildings and structures. One of Omaha's original parks, Jefferson Square, was located in the neighborhood, with the Market House and Omaha's first school located in the park. The Old Post Office and other buildings were there, too.


Old Market

The Old Market is a neighborhood bordered by South 10th Street. The neighborhood has many restaurants, art galleries and upscale shopping, and is the location of several condominiums, including the JLofts on the Market and the Broatch Building. The area retains its brick paved streets from the turn of the 20th century, horse-drawn carriages, and covered sidewalks in some areas. It is not uncommon to see a variety of street performers, artists and other vendors.


Market West


Market West
is a newly established neighborhood to the west of the Old Market and to the south of the Central Business District. Market West is represented by the Market West Neighborhood Alliance, established in 2011. The official boundaries are construed as, but not limited to, S 17th street to the west, S 13th street to the east, Howard street to the north and the train tracks to the south. Part of Market West is included in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District. While the neighborhood is dominated by historic warehouses, the area is beginning to see new construction of apartment buildings. The area of Market West is often confused with the Old Market, as south 13th street is the most obvious boundary - the actual historically designated area of the Old Market Historic District is a few square blocks.


Restoration and expansion projects

Several projects commencing in Downtown Omaha are restoring and expanding the city's core. Omaha's own HDR, Inc. designed downtown's important ''
Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ch ...
'' Freedom Center, which opened in 2001. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is sparking a riverfront expansion project in Omaha and Council Bluffs. The bridge has a very modern design with two spires that have sail-like appearances and multi-color LED light panels at the top. The Omaha side of the riverfront project has restaurants, businesses, and two condo towers twelve and fifteen stories tall and a large plaza area with jumping fountains, statues, and seating. A new downtown baseball stadium,
TD Ameritrade Park Charles Schwab Field Omaha (formerly TD Ameritrade Park Omaha) is a baseball park in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 2011, the stadium serves as a replacement for historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Charles Schwab Field has a seating capacity of 24,0 ...
, is under construction in the NoDo area. The stadium will seat 24,000 and could be expanded to hold as many as 35,500. The stadium will feature open air concourses and will have impressive views of the downtown skyline from the third base side. The stadium will face southeast towards the Qwest Center, and the new riverfront developments, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and, RiverFront Place Condos.


New residential developments

The 2008 financial crisis did not impact Omaha as much as other areas of the country. In addition, the recovery in residential construction in Downtown Omaha was much swifter than the suburban west Omaha. Many new residential developments have been completed or are ongoing. The list below totals 2,270 new units completed or planned since 2008 valued at approximately $513 million.
The Wire
��300 units, this is a converted office building which was originally built in 1957--
Northwestern Bell Telephone Company Regional Headquarters The Northwestern Bell Telephone Company Regional Headquarters building in Omaha, Nebraska was built in 1957 as the headquarters of Northwestern Bell, the telephone company that served Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The ...
This development features a pool, indoor basketball court, and a rooftop deck. Construction completed in 2015 with a total investment of $41,300,000.
The Highline
��194 units, this was the old Northern Natural Gas Building, but now is the tallest residential building in Downtown Omaha. Construction completed in 2013 with a total investment of $25,788,445.
SLATE
��117 units, this is another old office building nearby The Wire. Construction completed in 2013 with a total investment of $13,035,115.
The Bank
��106 units, the success of this development catalyzed the recent boom in apartment construction in Downtown Omaha. Construction completed in 2011 with a total investment of $17,411,386. #The Bank Expansion—212 units, redevelopment and addition of additional stories above Wells Fargo branch on 19th and Douglas St. Estimated completion in 2020. Total investment: $34,000,000.
The Breakers
��217 units, former power plant converted into apartments in 2017, this building is between the Old Market and Missouri River northeast of the Durham Museum. Total investment was $36,000,000
Capitol District
��218 units, this new construction is nearby the CHI Health Center Omaha and is inside th
Capitol District
north of the Old Market. Construction was completed in 2018 with a total investment of $205,000,000.
The Corvina
��125 units, this new building is on the location of the historic Butternut building which tragically burned down in 2004. Nearby is the Durham museum
FLIXX Lounge & Cabaret Show Bar
an
Blue Barn Theater
The development will also feature a pool. Construction was completed in 2014 with a total investment of $22,557,923.
The Rochester
��75 units, this is located near the famous Hot Shops of NoDo (North Downtown Omaha) and TD Ameritrade stadium. Construction expected to be completed in 2015 with a total investment of $10,650,000.
L14 Flats
��42 units, this is a new construction located on the edge of the Old Market. Construction completed in 2012 with a total investment of $5,860,621.
The Limelight
��40 units, originally a commercial store built in 1947, 3 floors are being constructed on top of the existing 2 floors of this building. One useful perk is that each unit will include a wine refrigerator. Construction expected to be completed in 2015 with a total investment of $6,000,000.
Jones13
��100 units, this new construction very near the Old Market and around the corner from the largest gay dance club between Chicago and Denver, The Max, and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Construction completed in 2015 with a total investment of $12,871,669.
1501 Jackson
��75 units, this new construction is located across the street from the Max and the fire station. The building features heated parking and a Penthouse cyber cafe with views. Construction completed in 2015 with a total investment of $13,500,000.
The Barker
��48 units, this historical building was originally built in 1929. It is across the street from Sullivan's steakhouse, Jazz Louisiana Kitchen, and nearby the Hotel Deco XV which is one of the most upscale hotels in the city. Also on the same block is the former King Fong restaurant (opened in 1921, now closed) and Panda House. Construction completed in 2013 with a total investment of $9,300,000. # Highline 2.0--114 units, new structure at 2100 Douglas St will have indoor bicycle parking, exterior courtyard, and an outdoor swimming pool. Construction expected to be completed in Spring 2016 with a total investment of $16,700,000.
Traver's Row
��24 row houses, renovation of the historic Travers row houses on 26th & St. Mary's Ave. Units come in 2, 3, & 4 Bedrooms. Construction completed in 2015 with a total investment of $2,000,000. # Nichol Flats—67 units in a new 5 story building on 16th and Nicholas. Modestly priced apartments near TD Ameritrade stadium and the Hot Shops arts building will have private balconies, ambient lighting, and stone and wood floors. Construction ongoing with a total investment of $9,177,000.

��43 units, rehab of a floors 3-5 of a building located on the northeast corner of 12 & Howard in the middle of the Old Market. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2016 with a total investment of $12,000,000.
Flats on Howard
— 153 units, redevelopment of 12 adjacent brick buildings between Harney St and Landon Ct along 24th St. Development will include a courtyard, pet park, pet washing station, and a gated private parking lot. Construction completed in 2016 with a total investment of $20,000,000


Attractions

Aside from the Old Market, other attractions in Downtown Omaha include the historic Orpheum Theater, which was built by influential Omaha philanthropist John A. Creighton, whose family also built the city's
Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
. Along with the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center, this is the oldest theater left in downtown. Other performance spaces downtown include the Magic Theatre, which features experimental theater. The Omaha Children's Museum, Durham Western Heritage Museum, and the Holland Performing Arts Center are all important visual arts spaces downtown, while the CenturyLink Center Omaha and the
Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha Civic Auditorium was a multi-purpose convention center located in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CHI Health Center ...
play host to many different events, including concerts, sports and more.
Slowdown A slowdown ( UK: go-slow) is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. A slowdown may be used as either a prelude or an alternative to a stri ...
is a new cultural center that straddles the boundaries of NoDo and the Near North Side neighborhood. Heartland of America Park and the
Gene Leahy Mall Gene Leahy Mall, also known locally as Central Park or The Mall, is a park located at 1302 Farnam on the Mall in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., and bordered by South 10th Street. There are also two huge slides, a sculpture garden, a remote-cont ...
play host to outdoor concerts and other events throughout the year.


Architecture

Downtown Omaha was the original site of the city of Omaha, where the riverfront held businesses and the area surrounding it bore the brunt of its commercial, residential, and social activities. The Omaha National Bank Building was the first tower in downtown. Constructed in 1888 and 1889, the building was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White. The firm designed an identical office tower for the New York Life Insurance Company in Kansas City, Missouri. The building was Omaha's first ten-story structure. There has been a recent revitalization of the area, with several notable new buildings and other developments taking place. Following are some of the notable locations throughout the area.


Tallest buildings

Omaha's tallest building, the 45-story First National Bank Tower, is in Downtown.


Historic districts

The Old Market Historic District is bordered by Farnam Street on the north to Leavenworth on the south, from South 10th Street on the east to South 14th Street on the west. The Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District is bounded by Jackson, 15th and 8th Streets, as well as the Union Pacific main line. Both are also listed as historic districts on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. Downtown Omaha is also the site of the largest single loss of buildings included on the National Register of Historic Places to date. All of the 24 buildings in the Jobbers Canyon were demolished in 1989, to be replaced by the ConAgra headquarters and Heartland of America Park. The Warehouses in Omaha Multiple Property Submission brings together several historic locations around Downtown Omaha, as well.


Historic buildings

According to a 1939 publication by the
Federal Writers Project The Federal Writers' Project (FWP) was a federal government project in the United States created to provide jobs for out-of-work writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program. It wa ...
, the downtown core has at least 23 historic sites that were central to the growth and development of the city. Many significant buildings have been recognized as
landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
, including the following, which are all included on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.


Former locations

The location of the William D. Brown's Lone Tree Ferry, downtown has been the pivotal site for Omaha's growth since the city's inception in 1854. The following are all buildings, districts and other notable locations in Omaha that have been lost over the last 150 years. Other sites labeled as key historic sites by the Federal Writers Project include the Douglas Street Bridge, Herndon House,
First Territorial Capitol First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...
, Diamond Gambling House, Original Union Pacific Headquarters, Joslyn Memorial, Original World-Herald Building,
Apex Saloon The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...
, Omaha Auditorium and the Union Passenger Terminal.


Transportation

Omaha's main east–west street, Dodge Street begins downtown as a westbound one-way
offramp In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
from
I-480 Interstate 480 may refer to: *Interstate 480 (Nebraska–Iowa), a loop through Omaha, Nebraska into Council Bluffs, Iowa * Interstate 480 (Ohio), a loop through Cleveland, Ohio *Interstate 480 (California), the former Embarcadero Freeway in San Fran ...
right after it crosses the Missouri River from
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. This route of the former Lincoln Highway in Omaha includes several buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
, including the
Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc. The Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery is located at 901 Dodge Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It is a brick five-story commercial style warehouse with terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an ear ...
at 901 Dodge Street, The Logan at 1804 Dodge Street, and the
Simon Brothers Company The Simon Brothers Company is a historic six-story building in Omaha, Nebraska. It was built in 1919 by J.L. Carnecie & Sons for its namesake, a wholesale grocer whose president was Jacob Simon Sr., and designed by architect John Latenser Sr. With ...
at 1024 Dodge Street. The street was once lined by the Old Post Office. Accommodating
U.S. 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War Grand Army of the Republic, veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast fr ...
it conjoins with Douglas Street at 30th Street to hold six lanes of two-way traffic. The City of Omaha is considering developing a light rail system that would extend from NoDo to the Rosenblatt Stadium/ Henry Doorly Zoo area in
South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...
. The historical Omaha port site was located in downtown, with dozens of businesses lining the riverside to serve the steamboats and other water traffic. Jobbers Canyon was originally built here to accommodate river traffic. That same area today is home to Miller's Landing, which is a riverboat excursion launching site, and the new Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge that will take walkers to Council Bluffs. Downtown has been the location of the Union Pacific Railroad headquarters since its founding in 1865; they constructed a
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, shops and a station downtown for their traffic. In 1989 the railroad combined all of its nationwide operational coordination into the rehabilitated 1892 Harriman Dispatch Center; in 2002 they opened a new headquarters building downtown as well. In a similar fashion, the
Burlington and Missouri River Railroad The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (B&MR) or sometimes (B&M) was an American railroad company incorporated in Iowa in 1852, with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. It was developed to build a railroad across the state of Iowa and began oper ...
built their headquarters in downtown in 1879, with renowned Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball redesigning the building extensively in 1899. That company's
depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...
in the downtown area was recently rehabilitated for use as high-end condominiums.


Environmental concerns

In 1889
ASARCO Asarco LLC (American Smelting and Refining Company) is a mining, smelting, and refining company based in Tucson, Arizona, which mines and processes primarily copper. The company has been a subsidiary of Grupo México since 1999. Its three la ...
, a smelting company, consolidated several plants at the corner of 5th & Douglas Streets in Downtown Omaha. By 1915 it was the largest lead refinery in the world. In 1972 the plant was found to be releasing high amounts of lead into the air and ground surrounding the plant, and in 1995 ASARCO submitted a demolition and site cleanup plan to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. The company was fined $3.6 million in 1996 for discharging lead and other pollutants into the Missouri River, and the plant was closed in July, 1997. After extensive cleanup the land was turned over to the
City of Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
for use as a park. All of North Omaha, comprising more than , was declared a Superfund site, and as of 2003, had been cleaned.(2003
National Priorities List Site Narrative for Omaha Lead
United States EPA. Retrieved 2/3/08.


See also

*
List of businesses in Omaha This is a list of businesses in Omaha, comprising companies that are presently headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. This list also includes companies previously headquartered in Omaha. Overview Although Nebraska's economy is still primarily based ...
* Culture in Omaha * Music in Omaha


References


Related publications

*Bednarek, J.R.D. (1992) ''The Changing Image of the City: Planning for Downtown Omaha, 1945-1973.'' University of Nebraska Press. *Adrian, J.C. Jr. (2006)
Downtown Revitalization: Parks in the Sky. Theses from the Architecture Program.
' Architecture Program at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. *Beals, J
"Magic Number: Third stage in downtown Omaha development charging ahead"
''Omaha City Weekly.'' Retrieved 8/21/07.


External links



website.
Downtown Omaha Business Improvement District
website.

''Early Omaha: Gateway to the West''. Omaha Public Library website.
Map of NoDo
from the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. {{Community areas of Omaha Omaha