This spring, construction is expected to begin on the first phases of West Farm, a 500-acre, $1.2 billion live/work destination in Omaha, Neb., that, when built out over the next 15 years, will include 1.36 million sf of office space, 500,000 sf of retail, 1,900 apartments and townhouses, 400 single-family homes, and a 300-room hotel.
Retail will account for one-quarter of West Farm, and parks, trails, and recreation areas one-third of its total space. The daytime population of West Farm at its completion is projected to exceed 15,000.
To assemble the land for West Farm, its developer Noddle Companies paid $64 million to the historic Boys Town Village and the DeMarco family. Applied Underwriters intends to build its corporate headquarters on the southern part of this development, and Noddle has been soliciting other Omaha-area businesses to lease office or retail space within the neighborhood. (The Omaha World-Herald reports that the Noddle-Applied team began meeting last year with key national retailers they wanted for this project.)
The city has created a sanitary and improvement district as a means to finance the $68 million needed to install streets, sewers, and other infrastructure for West Farm.
While a general contractor has yet to be named, Lamp Rynearson is West Farm’s civil engineer, and HDR is providing land planning and office architecture and design services. San Francisco-based SB Architects was brought in as the architect for the other buildings and to work on West Farm’s layout.
Bruce Wright, AIA, LEED AP, a Vice President and Principal with SB Architects, tells BD+C that he received a call last Spring from Noddle’s Partner and Senior Vice President Frank Barber about coming onto the West Farm development. Barber was familiar with SB from its work on Santana Row, a large mixed-use live/work community in San Jose.
“I had never been to Omaha, and was skeptical,” Wright admits. “But this has turned out to be a fabulous project, which could open the door for us for other projects in the Midwest.”
Retail will be a big factor at West Farm, with a marketplace running along its east axis, and entertainment venues along its west axis. Image: SB Architects
SB made some changes to West Farm’s master plan, which had originally been drawn up by Urban Design Associates. SB broke down the site into “different experiences,” says Wright, with more emphasis on creating a pedestrian environment.
Retail, says Wright, will be organized along West Farm’s east-west axis, with a marketplace/outdoor mall on the east side, and nightlife/entertainment venues on the west side, buttressed by a series of alleys, plazas, and courtyards. “This is a first for Omaha,” says Wright.
West Farm—which may not be the name this development ends up being called, says Wright—will be part of the city of Omaha, although Noddle and Applied will continue to own the bulk of the property and maintain the trail system and community spaces.
The master plan for West Farm now places greater emphasis on creating a pedestrian environment, supported by courtyards and plazas. Image: SB Architects
The World-Herald reports that Noddle has set up a temporary on-site storage area for 120 trees that were removed during site preparation, which will be replanted strategically as the vertical construction proceeds.
Noddle and Applied have also committed to capital improvements that are likely to benefit surrounding communities and schools with better roads and recreational facilities.
Related Stories
| Jun 12, 2014
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects' design selected for new UCSC facility
The planned site is a natural landscape among redwood trees with views over Monterey Bay, a site that the architects have called “one of the most beautiful they have ever worked on.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 11, 2014
David Adjaye’s housing project in Sugar Hill nears completion
A new development in New York's historic Sugar Hill district nears completion, designed to be an icon for the neighborhood's rich history.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.
| Jun 4, 2014
Want to design a Guggenheim? Foundation launches open competition for proposed Helsinki museum
This is the first time the Guggenheim Foundation has sought a design through an open competition. Anonymous submissions for stage one of the competition are due September 10, 2014.
| Jun 4, 2014
Construction team named for Atlanta Braves ballpark
A joint venture between Barton Malow, Brasfield & Gorrie, Mortenson Construction, and New South Construction will build the Atlanta Braves ballpark, which is scheduled to open in early 2017. Check out the latest renderings of the plan.
| May 30, 2014
Riding high: L.A., Chicago working on their version of the High Line elevated park
Cities around the U.S. are taking notice of New York's highly popular High Line elevated park system. Both Chicago and Los Angeles are currently working on High Line-like projects.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 23, 2014
Big design, small package: AIA Chicago names 2014 Small Project Awards winners
Winning projects include an events center for Mies van der Rohe's landmark Farnsworth House and a new boathouse along the Chicago river.
| May 23, 2014
Top interior design trends: Gensler, HOK, FXFOWLE, Mancini Duffy weigh in
Tech-friendly furniture, “live walls,” sit-stand desks, and circadian lighting are among the emerging trends identified by leading interior designers.
