Aksarben Village final final

Aksarben Village : 

Aksarben Village Mixed-Use District Realized: Keith Reagan Intro to Urban Studies 12/02/09 Photo Essay

New Use For Old Space : 

New Use For Old Space Many people remember Aksarben as the finest horse racing track west of Kentucky and East of California. For many years, the area lay empty except for seasonal events held in the empty parking lot.

What to do with what was there. : 

What to do with what was there. It was clear that this area was unique due to many factors: It was a very large space in the middle of Omaha. The area had very few structures to clear. Only the grandstands, Aksarben coliseum, and parking lots needed to be removed. The property was connected to other forms of transportation other than car. Since horse racing ended in 1995, the branch of the Papio creek that ran near it was incorporated into the growing Omaha bike trails. The proximity to colleges such as UNO and the College of St. Mary’s provided an immediate source of intellectual and financial capital.

Plans come to fruition. : 

Plans come to fruition. Through a combined effort of local business and UNO, the area began to take shape. In 2003, UNO opened new dormitories on the property. The remaining area was scheduled to become a new mixed use development due in large part to the unique features and infrastructure previously mentioned. In 2008, the first businesses began to open and the area started to see what could be.

What were the goals? : 

What were the goals? The main goal of such a development is to show that a development does not need to fill one purpose. Being in the center of town, developers needed to try and fit the new design into the surrounding area.

Transportation : 

Transportation Like many cities, the more Omaha has developed, the more it has become car dependent. Aksarben Village purposely went away from that model in order to incorporate the bike paths, and limit the amount of car traffic in and out of area.

Transportation continued : 

Transportation continued Parking garages were added in order to keep cars in a limited space, thus freeing more space for other use. The dense placement of places to work, live, and shop allow for more pedestrian friendly use. The development’s close proximity to two of Omaha’s primary parks, Elmwood and Memorial, also help encourage people to choose walking to the location over driving.

Living component : 

Living component The success of UNO’s Scott Village and resurrection of the surrounding neighborhood lead to the creation of new places to live. Because the area just east of the property has always been dominated by small family homes, the decision was made to focus on the use of dense residential dwelling such apartments and condos. Both projects are currently complete and have residents living in them. The apartments, Pinhook Flats, are pictured here.

Unique living features : 

Unique living features Residents in the area are able to use many features that encourage the work, live, and play goal of the neighborhood. Free Wifi is available throughout the area. A outdoor amphitheater and green area allow for outdoor events.

Businesses : 

Businesses The verity of businesses in the area is also part of the mixed use design. Businesses from banks, design firms, and restaurants share the same main building. The grocery store, Wohlner’s, is perhaps the most interesting example of the types of businesses mixed in. Wohlner’s is a local grocery that beat out other national grocery chains to get one of the most prime store spots in Omaha.

Businesses Continued : 

Businesses Continued Other businesses are now building on the property. These include a three story hotel by Marriott and a new ten story structure for Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Nebraska.

Future Business : 

Future Business With the recent downturn in economic activity, many of the business developments have slowed. The next major creation planned will be for a movie theater.

Design features : 

Design features As can be seen in this picture, there are many designs that have been implemented for environmental reasons. First of all, the liberal use of pavers, bricks fit together on the lower left side of this picture, allows for rain water to soak into the ground as opposed going into the creek system to the west, and simply allowing it to flood.

Design features continued : 

Design features continued The plants used in the development are all native. This is important to cut down on the watering costs, as well as preventing ecological side effects such as the release of non-native species into the surrounding area.

Past and Future combined : 

Past and Future combined The unique features of this mixed use development is getting its own twist from its implementation in Omaha. The development is embracing the old use of the land as a racetrack and place of public meeting. The green area known as Stinson Park is keeping much of the public art and statuary originally used by the race track, such as this statue to “Omaha” a triple crown winner buried in the Circle of Champions, located on this land.

Future Development : 

Future Development Currently, the Aksarben Village development is in a holding pattern. Economic hardship has slowed some growth, but most of the deceleration has come as part of a wait and see approach on this area that is not even complete. The inclusion of apartments and living directly on the site will help grow the area into a living neighborhood within the next year. Plans for an extension have been made just south of Center Street, shown here just off to the right.