Updates

• The Mall Walls Come Down
A New Vision for the
Gene Leahy Mall
and 11th Street

Thirty years ago the Gene Leahy Mall and the Old Market started a revitalization effort in downtown Omaha that continues to this day. They are two of the city’s most successful and recognizable public spaces.

In recent years new perspectives emerged from citizen input during two Place Games and two American Institute of Architects charrettes sponsored by Omaha By Design. Many felt that a need exists to provide better connections and activities to the Mall to fit the needs of a 21st century Omaha.

To address these suggestions, Omaha By Design created the Leahy Mall / 11th Street Committee to begin developing new concepts for an enhanced Mall and for it’s role as a pedestrian connection from the W. Dale Clark Library, to the Qwest Center and from the Holland Performing Arts Center to the Old Market.

To help develop a new vision, the committee reviewed proposals from nine nationally recognized
landscape design and planning firms and selected Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVAA) of
Cambridge, MA and New York, NY.

Read more about the background of the project, the committee and consultants.

MVVA did extensive fact finding about the Mall an d 11th Street and on October 7 , 2004, three public
input sessions were held at the Peter Kiewit Conference Center in downtown to discuss the strength s
a nd weaknesses of both the Mall and 11th Street.

Read more about the MVVA’s analysis of the project area.

On March 15, 2005, Michael Van Valkenburgh and his team returned to present their vision based on public input and analysis to a packed house at the Omaha World-Herald’s Freedom Center.

The team picked up from the October session with a summary of the public input they gathered at those meetings.
  • Safety
         • Safety is the most important issue
    • Remove blind corners
    • W omen should feel safe in the mall
    • Improve views into the mall
    • Connect the 14th corner area into the mall
    • Under bridge spaces are problematic

  • Circulation and Urban Connections
         • Create city-wide connections
    • Harney and Farnam should be t wo-way streets
    • Improve clarity and increase choices of circulation
    • Improve north/south connections across the mall
    • Bottom floor of buildings should be occupied
  • Mall uses and activities
         • Water should be more dynamic
    • Children's play area should be expanded
    • Movies in the mall
    • Improve bathrooms
    • Ice skating and concerts in the mall
    •     Place to toss a football
  • 11th Street
         • Expand the urban fabric north/south
    • T he middle is great
    • Artist's studio on the edge of the parking garage
    • Parking is important
Based on that summary MVVA set out their vision for a redesign to the Leahy Mall that included removing some existing walls to improve views into the park and alleviate some of the blind corners.
They showed how the usable space in the Mall could be increased,
how new pathways could be created to improve access to the park, and
many new opportunities for events and activities.
Project Views
The consultants returned with the scale model used in October to help visualize the changes. The views below illustrate their ideas and the model is now on display in the lobby of the Omaha Community Foundation offices in the Blackstone Building at 36th and Farnam.
Aerial View
West View
East View
Middle View

11th Street
The team recommended that the landscape of 11th street, like the buildings, should continue to grow as a “collage” of materials and spaces.

New Improvements, both streetscape and architectural, should honor the spirit of the Old Market by using it as a model for new development. The scale, materials, program, sidewalk widths, and canopies should relate to the Old Market.  Blank walls and street level parking garages should be strongly discouraged. While cars should be accommodated, the quality of the pedestrian environment should guide all improvements.
Recommendations preserve and expand the character of the Old Market with the restoration of brick paving along the length of 11th Street, more canopies, additional planters and new artist’s spaces.
Omaha By Design invites your input on this project.  Please click here to send us your comments.
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