My Future Omaha: A Checklist

Here's a checklist I brainstormed this morning over a hearty breakfast of pre-sweetened cereal. (Don't judge me, and I won't judge your venti upside down half-caf breve cappuccino, mmmkay?)

In no particular order. (Well, yeah, my brain picked the low-hanging fruit first, but all of these can be worked on in parallel.) Each of these will get a more in-depth analysis in the future.

1. Amateur Sports
   Ever since the College World Series, Omaha has a tradition of supporting amateur sports. Omaha has hosted the Olympic swim trials, Olympic curling, equestrian events. But we don't really do regional sports tournaments very well. Tranquility Park can be expanded and improved to host regional sports competitions. 
2. The Zoo
   The Henry Doorly Zoo is Omaha's amusement park. For the first time in 12 years, there is no construction occurring. But what if they expanded into Rosenblatt, where parking is now? What if they acquire land to the south or east? 
3. The Airport
   Currently, construction will join all the concourses behind one secure checkpoint. There is a lot of space available for expansion (if the runways can handle the load). The airport is near to Downtown, and there should be more transit options. (Express bus. Streetcar.)
4. The Convention Center
   First, MECA needs to add more events which use the entire building, like the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. These big events sell hotel rooms, make more money, and raise Omaha's reputation as a welcoming city.
5. Professional Sports
   Omaha has decent lower-league professional sports, with good fan support, as well as good management. The only question right now: Soccer. Where to build a stadium for United Omaha? 
6. The Kiewit Foundation
   What if the Kiewit Foundation replicated the architecture program of Columbus, Indiana? 
7. Building density
   This is already being addressed, but we need this everywhere. Replicate the many Main Streets in Omaha with every new development. Noddle is planning this for their farm project near Boys Town. You can still have detached single-family homes, but also townhomes, apartment buildings, condos...
8. Connecting NoDo to the Old Market. (Old Ma?)
   This is more challenging, at the Landmark Center creates a giant roadblock between the Old Market and the Mall. There's also some traffic problems caused by I-480 exits, the open expanse of the Mall, and advertising.
9. Connecting the Landing to the Mall to Heartland to Old Market to NoDo
   There are millions of dollars being spent on these three parks, but I am a bit pessimistic that it will be easy to walk between the Landing, the Mall, and Heartland without having to take the current detouring boardwalks.
10. Vacant lots (ConAgra. Parking.)
    If the Old Market is such a destination for dining and shopping and tourism, why are there so many empty lots in that neighborhood? Should not every plot have a building? There are plenty of parking garages nearby (ugh). 
    (And yes, let's close off the streets for emergency vehicles only. Deliveries can happen in the early morning, or overnight.)
    And then there are empty lots over in ConAgraLand...
11. Festivals! Fairgrounds!
    Omaha needs an anchored location for festivals. Given that the Landing is mostly paved, that would be ideal, especially since it's isolated from the rest of Downtown by the Union Pacific rail line.
12. Streetcar!
    OOoooh... how far can it be expanded. Where? How far? 
13. Image.
    What is iconic? What adds excitement, glamour? What diminishes, degrades, denigrates, derogates? Where's the vision, the drive, the chutzpah to make Omaha rival Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, and Minneapolis?