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45-556: The Omaha Cable Tramway Company was originally formed in 1884, and began operating in 1887. Its power house was at 20th and Harney Streets in Downtown Omaha . Frederick Drexel , who came to Omaha in 1856, helped incorporate the Cable Tramway Company in 1887. Former Omaha mayor Ezra Millard was the first treasurer of the company when he died in 1886, and Samuel R. Johnson was the president. The company had

90-605: A bad image because of frequent disruptions in service caused by cable breakages. The cables were made of wire and hemp rope . In 1887 the company was sued by the Omaha Horse Railway for infringing on its territory after the Cable Tramway Company built tracks on the same street the railway operated on. The case was dismissed by a district court judge. After electrically powered trams were introduced in Omaha, in April 1889

135-717: 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 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

180-829: 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 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

225-408: 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

270-529: 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

315-474: 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 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,

360-638: 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

405-416: 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

450-606: 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 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

495-496: 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 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

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540-694: 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

585-553: 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

630-585: 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

675-675: 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

720-578: 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

765-481: The crime in Omaha in the late 19th century and early 20th century. 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 , the Burlington Station

810-592: The Budweiser Saloon in the Sporting District at 1409 Douglas Street, the site of the current Union Pacific Center . The saloon was owned by William E. Nesselhous, one of Dennison's key lieutenants. Anna Wilson ran a 25-room brothel in a mansion at 915 Douglas Street during this period, along with Dan Allen's gambling house, saloon and pawn shop . Mae Hogan ran a brothel on the corner of 16th and Jackson, and Ada and Minna Everleigh had

855-534: The Cable Tramway Company consolidated with the Omaha Horse Railway under the name Omaha Street Railway Company , which was then disbanded in 1896. Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area , U.S. state of Nebraska . The boundaries are Omaha 's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on

900-679: The Health Commissioner reported that there were at least 1,600 prostitutes working in the area. There were a variety of venues inside the district. They included the Gayety Theatre, located at 1514 Harney Street, which was a notorious burlesque house that civic organizations protested. The theatre was opened in 1906 as the Burwood Theatre and the name was changed to the Gayety Theatre in 1908. It continued to operate until 1928. Tom Dennison kept his primary office at

945-629: 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

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990-568: 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

1035-580: 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

1080-584: 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 is the eastern boundary of NoDo where millions in redevelopment has taken place in recent years. The city has created

1125-532: 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

1170-428: 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

1215-546: 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 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

1260-547: 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

1305-618: 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

1350-420: 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

1395-466: 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 ,

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1440-622: 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. Downtown Omaha

1485-404: 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 -

1530-631: 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

1575-400: The late 19th century. The area was located east of Creighton University from Douglas Street six blocks north to Cass Street and from the Missouri River west to Sixteenth Street. The district was closed down around the turn of the century, and business transferred to the Sporting District. It has been estimated that there were over 100 "houses of questionable character" in 1910. In 1918

1620-679: 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

1665-633: 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

1710-640: 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),

1755-478: 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 the area. The historic neighborhood of Squatter's Row and the city's notorious prostitution alleyway, The Cribs , were located here. Today

1800-603: 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 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

1845-709: 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

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1890-469: Was declared a Superfund site, and as of 2003, 290 acres (120 ha) had been cleaned. Sporting District (Omaha, Nebraska) The Sporting District was an area near 16th and Harney Streets in Omaha, Nebraska where city boss Tom Dennison kept the majority of his gambling , drinking and prostitution interests from the late 19th century until the end of his reign in 1933. "Cowboy" James Dahlman

1935-401: 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

1980-479: Was reputedly voted to the first of eight terms as mayor of Omaha because he was more tolerant of the Dennison's " Sporting District" in the middle of the city. The term sporting was a common 19th-century euphemism for gambling and/or prostitution. Many communities around the U.S. used this term; brothels were often referred to as sporting houses . The Burnt District had been Omaha's red-light district in

2025-405: 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 , 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 ,

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