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56-466: The Flatiron Hotel is located at 1722 St. Mary's Avenue in downtown Omaha, Nebraska . Designed by architect George Prinz and originally constructed in 1912 as an office building, in 1914 it was renovated for use as a hotel. Today the building serves as office and commercial space. It formerly housed an upscale restaurant, the Flatiron Cafe, which closed in 2022. The Flatiron Hotel was added to

112-644: A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) 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. This neighborhood

168-574: A brief opinion. The court of appeal granted a partial stay of demolition during the appeals at a time when five buildings remained standing in the district. The injunction was later dissolved, and ultimately, all 24 buildings in the National Register-listed historic district were demolished, and the adjacent corporate campus was completed in 1992. Two historic districts listed on the National Register currently border

224-626: 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 , the Burlington Station is one of the buildings in the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District that has been renovated into residential apartments. A new mixed-use development, North Downtown extends 80 blocks, from

280-699: A large development industry," he said. "In a relatively small community like this, the effects of a growing, national corporation echo throughout the economy." People for Responsible Omaha Urban Development (PROUD), with the National Trust for Historic Preservation as an intervening plaintiff, sued the Interstate Commerce Commission , the National Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers in order to stop

336-416: A range of businesses, building almost 24 densely congested buildings in a seven-block by three-block area in downtown Omaha. At its peak, Jobbers Canyon had more than 1,700,000 square feet (160,000 m ) of office, warehouse, industrial and shipping space. Speaking in 1987 about Jobber's Canyon, J. Jackson Walter, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said, "The warehouse district, to

392-519: A six-story brick Renaissance Revival style structure. Kingman was a wholesale distributor of farm implements and vehicles. The Fairbanks, Morse and Company building at 923 Farnam Street was six stories tall. It was designed in 1907 by Omaha architects Fisher and Lawrie . In 1907 Fairbanks, Morse and Company was the largest manufacturer of gasoline, kerosene, and crude oil engines in the United States. In 1906, architect Charles Cleves designed

448-531: A six-story building for the U.S. Supply Company, which distributed of wholesale steam, water and plumbing supplies. The Dempster Building was a five-story Renaissance Revival-style warehouse designed by Omaha architect John Latenser, Sr. in 1902. The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company started as a small retail pump and windmill shop in 1880 and eventually grew to become a major manufacturer of windmills and farm implements. Architects Fisher & Lawrie designed another six-story red brick warehouse structure in 1900 for

504-408: A very modern design with two 200-foot (61 m) 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 , is under construction in

560-529: 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 . Downtown Omaha is also the site of

616-535: 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

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672-537: Is highlighted by decorative brickwork. There is limestone trim around the entire building, with a brown brick exterior on the whole building. In the novel Kings of Broken Things by Theodore Wheeler, the Flatiron Hotel is the site of a criminal scheme to dig secret tunnels that connect reputable hotels to brothels. The novel depicts several criminal endeavors connected to noted crime and political boss Tom Dennison . Downtown Omaha Dating almost to

728-638: Is not uncommon to see a variety of street performers, artists and other vendors. 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

784-574: 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. Buildings along the riverfront include

840-694: The CenturyLink Center Omaha and the Omaha Civic Auditorium play host to many different events, including concerts, sports and more. Slowdown 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 play host to outdoor concerts and other events throughout the year. Downtown Omaha was the original site of

896-553: The Federal Writers Project , 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 , including the following, which are all included on the National Register of Historic Places . The location of the William D. Brown 's Lone Tree Ferry , downtown has been the pivotal site for Omaha's growth since

952-648: 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 in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Downtown Omaha is generally thought of as

1008-677: The Joslyn Art Museum , 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

1064-668: The National Park Service 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 . The proposed streetcars would cost $ 55 million and run in

1120-543: The National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Drawing upon the original Flatiron Building in New York City , Augustus F. Kountze , a local banker and landowner, had the building erected as commercial and office space in 1912. The building, designed in the Georgian Revival style, is one of Omaha's most distinctive buildings. It has four stories with a circular tower at the point of the triangle, and

1176-600: The Old West , particularly those along the Great Platte River Road . Railroad entrepreneurs, land speculators, and merchants built Jobbers Canyon from the 1870s onward. After George Francis Train landed the Union Pacific and Credit Foncier of America in Omaha, the city quickly turned into a transportation hub. Fruit and vegetable wholesalers, meatpackers , and all sorts of supply people created

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1232-675: The Simon Brothers Company at 1024 Dodge Street. The street was once lined by the Old Post Office . Accommodating U.S. 6 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 . The historical Omaha port site

1288-641: The Union Passenger Terminal . Omaha's main east–west street, Dodge Street begins downtown as a westbound one-way offramp from I-480 right after it crosses the Missouri River from Iowa . This route of the former Lincoln Highway in Omaha includes several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places , including the Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc. at 901 Dodge Street, The Logan at 1804 Dodge Street, and

1344-731: The Lee-Glass-Andreesen Hardware Company, which originated in 1880 as Lee, Fried & Co. They were wholesalers of hardware, cutlery and tinware. The eight-story Creighton Block was built for John A. Creighton to house the Byrne and Hammer Dry Goods Company. The most ornate building in Jobbers Canyon, this Renaissance Revival-style structure was designed by architect Charles Cleves. Today the Greenhouse Apartments at 900 Farnam Street are

1400-475: The National Register. The site was home to 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 , along with two historic districts . Downtown Omaha was the location of

1456-629: 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. Omaha's tallest building, the 45-story First National Bank Tower , is in Downtown. The Old Market Historic District

1512-568: 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 . The 2008 financial crisis did not impact Omaha as much as other areas of

1568-580: The actual historically designated area of the Old Market Historic District is a few square blocks. 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 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

1624-496: The area becoming called "Jobber's Canyon". The brick-surfaced South Ninth Street was an important streetscape in the city, with brick and cobblestone streets, railroad spur lines, loading docks, and dock canopies all contributing to the character of Jobbers Canyon. The area included the Kingman Implement Company building, also called the U.S. Tire building, located at 923 Farnam Street. It was built in 1900 as

1680-532: 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 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

1736-662: The area. The historic neighborhood of Squatter's Row and the city's notorious prostitution alleyway, The Cribs , were located here. Today the area includes the new Slowdown venue. The new TD Ameritrade Park opened in April 2011 near CenturyLink Center as the new home of the College World Series and Creighton University baseball. The area also includes national retailers and several restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Several buildings have also been renovated into apartments and condos. The Missouri River riverfront

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1792-490: The best of my knowledge, is certainly one of the Middle West's or the nation's finest collection of this sort of buildings." All of Omaha's largest and most notable wholesale and mercantile businesses built massive warehouse structures in the area by the early 20th century. Six- and seven-story red brick buildings filled with jobbing houses towered over red brick streets, creating a canyon-like feeling and leading to

1848-428: The building extensively in 1899. That company's depot in the downtown area was recently rehabilitated for use as high-end condominiums . In 1889 ASARCO , 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

1904-620: The campus of Creighton University to the CHI Health Center , Charles Schwab Field 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 . 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

1960-547: 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

2016-404: The city was being "held hostage" by ConAgra, and that the city should not have to choose between its corporations and its historical legacies. At the time Omaha's then-planning director, Marty Shukert, said it was more important to keep the city's downtown core healthy than to keep the historic district. "This development may not be a large thing to a city with multiple corporate headquarters and

2072-618: 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 , Diamond Gambling House , Original Union Pacific Headquarters , Joslyn Memorial , Original World-Herald Building , Apex Saloon , Omaha Auditorium and

2128-505: 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. Downtown Omaha was also the site of the Jobbers Canyon Historic District , which housed 24 historic warehouses. All 24 buildings were demolished in 1989, representing the largest single loss of buildings to date from

2184-491: 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 Tom Dennison ,

2240-420: 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. Aside from the Old Market, other attractions in Downtown Omaha include the historic Orpheum Theater , which

2296-643: The demolition. The lawsuit alleged that the federal agencies failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act . The trial began in May 1988, and the district court immediately denied plaintiffs' request to stop demolition. The district court later ruled in favor of defendants on the merits, with a court of appeals affirming the district court decision in

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2352-404: 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 -

2408-622: The former Jobbers Canyon site. They include the Old Market Historic District , which was listed in 1979; and the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District , which was listed in 1996. The Union Station , Burlington Train Station and Bemis Bag Company Building are all nearby buildings that have been included on the Register individually, reflecting the area's significance. The National Park Service officially delisted

2464-563: 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. According to a 1939 publication by

2520-679: The location of the Union Pacific Railroad headquarters since its founding in 1865; they constructed a bridge , 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 built their headquarters in downtown in 1879, with renowned Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball redesigning

2576-467: The non-existent Jobbers Canyon Historic District in 2002. In 2005 a restaurant called "Jobber's Canyon" opened in the Old Market, but later closed. Some critics charge that Omaha's dual losses of Jobbers Canyon and the Union Stockyards represent a blatant disregard for the city's working-class history. In 2015, ConAgra moved its headquarters to Chicago and cut 1,500 of the 2,700 jobs at

2632-617: The only building left from the original Jobbers Canyon. The Nash Block at 902 Farnam Street was designed by Thomas R. Kimball and built in 1907. Agriculture -related industries have always been important to Omaha's workforce. In addition to the meat industry , major employers have included the Kellogg Company and the Campbell Soup Company , which produces frozen Swanson and LeMenu products in Omaha. Exercising its influence, industry giant ConAgra transformed

2688-633: The park. The Old Post Office and other buildings were there, too. 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

2744-640: 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 for use as a 23-acre (93,000 m ) park. All of North Omaha , comprising more than 8,000 acres (3,200 ha),

2800-408: 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 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

2856-434: The skyline by demolishing Jobber's Canyon in 1989. Its world headquarters sat on 30 acres (120,000 m ) of the former historic district for the next 26 years. At the time Charles M. Harper , chief executive of ConAgra, was asked about the district, and responded saying it was "some big, ugly red brick buildings". ConAgra's campus created almost 300,000 square feet (30,000 m ) of office space. Critics charged that

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2912-659: The west. In 1989, all 24 buildings in Jobbers Canyon were demolished, representing the largest National Register historic district loss to date. The development of Jobber's Canyon mirrored Omaha's emergence as a central hub in the United States transportation system of the late 19th century and early 20th century. As the "Gateway to the West" serving several historic trails the Canyon housed several warehouses, grocers, and other dry goods outfitters for merchants throughout

2968-709: Was built by influential Omaha philanthropist John A. Creighton , whose family also built the city's Creighton University . 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 Museum , and the Holland Performing Arts Center are all important visual arts spaces downtown, while

3024-404: Was declared a Superfund site, and as of 2003, 290 acres (120 ha) had been cleaned. Jobbers Canyon Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska , US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on the south, and South Tenth Street on

3080-411: 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 on par with

3136-401: 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

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