Downtown Omaha was undergoing a transformation from an office-oriented area with limited nightlife to an urban residential area with a thriving nightlife. Unfortunately, the three parks ― Lewis & Clark Landing, Heartland of America, and Gene Leahy Mall ― in the heart of downtown were rarely used because of the disjointed nature, lack of access, and inadequate recreational opportunities. Funding constraints and underlying brownfield conditions limited the vision for these parks. The Omaha RiverFront Revitalization Project worked through the financial and environmental challenges and transformed these parks into a unified, amenity-rich open space, anchored by the Missouri River's beauty.
The RiverFront is a catalyst for continual growth and has become regional destination that builds upon the river's unique value with active spaces and maintains flexibility for the future. The RiverFront activates surrounding community and the downtown and brings together people, events, activities, excitement, and an energy long missing from Omaha’s urban core. This webinar provides the background on how the Project Team addressed the environmental engineering challenges and delivered a Project that has been called the jewel of Omaha.