[McBain II]

Excellent news!

Today it’s a concrete sea of more than 800 surface parking stalls.

Within four years, the downtown section will be transformed in a major way — replaced by about 1.3 million square feet of offices, housing, a full-service hotel, restaurants, retail shops and indoor parking.

The changing downtown landscape is to come in the form of a new global headquarters announced Tuesday for engineering and architectural firm HDR. And next to HDR’s future home, which is expected to stretch 18 to 20 stories, will be the Capitol District multi-use redevelopment project now under construction.

To put it in perspective: All together, the new structures will contain more space than Omaha’s tallest building, the 45-story First National Tower.

“It’s positive — and makes us more of a destination,” said Roger Dixon, president and chief executive of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, which manages the CenturyLink Center and TD Ameritrade Park.

Omaha officials hail HDR plan to build downtown high-rise headquarters - Money - Omaha.com

[MplsTodd]

That's great news. I'll be driving through Omaha this summer as part of our summer vacation and look forward to checking out the city, especially downtown. I was last there circa 1990!

[Garthur]

I don't understand the advantages to moving down town for the employees or for that mater, the company.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by Garthur

I don't understand the advantages to moving down town for the employees or for that mater, the company.

Why would any massive international business want to locate nearer the airport in a higher profile location??

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by Garthur

I don't understand the advantages to moving down town for the employees or for that mater, the company.

It's really not that complicated. Like Jacob said, you have the airport right there, which is huge. You also have all the amenities that a downtown area has to offer that the current quasi-suburban campus never will. Personally, I don't see why any large scale employer wouldn't want to be located Downtown.

[Garthur]

I friend of mine is a big wheel at Union Pacific. Every time I go to have lunch with him, we have trouble finding a place to park and a place to eat. He is always complaining about the commute in rush time traffic. Most of the employees have told him that they need to move out on the down town area.

The only advantage that I see is the proximity to the airport which is minor compared to all the disadvantages.

[Garthur]

Originally Posted by McBain II

It's really not that complicated. Like Jacob said, you have the airport right there, which is huge. You also have all the amenities that a downtown area has to offer that the current quasi-suburban campus never will. Personally, I don't see why any large scale employer wouldn't want to be located Downtown.

What are the amenities of down town ? I really what to know?

The real reason for the move will have nothing to do with anything that we post here. The real reason will be know only to a few in the board room and the city council/city planners office without any regard to the employees and the amenities, or the business cred that HDR gets from being down town.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by Garthur

I friend of mine is a big wheel at Union Pacific. Every time I go to have lunch with him, we have trouble finding a place to park and a place to eat. He is always complaining about the commute in rush time traffic. Most of the employees have told him that they need to move out on the down town area.

The only advantage that I see is the proximity to the airport which is minor compared to all the disadvantages.

Huge companies go for the prestige that downtown locations give them. The fact that hundreds of their employees are inconvenienced is a moot point. What is important is that the Big Shot customers they do business with have a short ride to and from the airport.

[Omahahonors]

I work in the downtown UP and can verify there are more people that do like the downtown area more than a west O campus. However, there is a good amount of individuals that'd prefer to work in west o, although only because of traffic.

Downtown is loaded with resteraunts, its close to thousands of holtels for people on business trips, lots of entertainment venues. Its all very convenient. Its only going to get much better with Shamrock, Tetrad, Playland Park, HDR, Lot Bs proposals etc. The amenities for transportation are increasing too like the bikeshare is more than doubling, we are on the verge of light rail, rapid busing and more.

Downtown used to be bad to set up shop in, outside of airport and hotel access. Not anymore, its easily the best option and its not close.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by Garthur

What are the amenities of down town ? I really what to know?

The real reason for the move will have nothing to do with anything that we post here. The real reason will be know only to a few in the board room and the city council/city planners office without any regard to the employees and the amenities, or the business cred that HDR gets from being down town.

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

Huge companies go for the prestige that downtown locations give them. The fact that hundreds of their employees are inconvenienced is a moot point. What is important is that the Big Shot customers they do business with have a short ride to and from the airport.

Well personally, I don't really care whether the employees are inconvenienced. Urban sprawl is a bit of a problem (though a little less so in Omaha) and we should be consolidating as many large scale employers into Downtown as we can. The employees can either move closer to the urban core or just sack up and deal with it. Also, anyone complaining of the traffic in DTO needs a reality check. The only people who think that is bad traffic are the people from the country or suburbanites who live out on 200thandsomething, and no one cares what they think anyways.