Though final plans have not been unveiled, some neighbors of the new downtown Omaha College World Series ballpark worry it will lack the promised street-level retail needed to spur neighborhood development.
Some neighbors of the new downtown Omaha College World Series ballpark worry it will lack the promised street-level retail needed to spur neighborhood development, and they’ve conveyed that concern to city leaders.
The response: the $140-million facility is the final design phase, so no decisions have been made regarding any street-level retail.
The bigger issue raised by some neighbors: there will be little chance for public comment before designs are finalized. In order to meet an April 2011 opening date, construction of the new ballpark will need to begin next spring. That means plans must be finalized before that. Right now a groundbreaking is scheduled for Jan. 22, and private meetings over the ballpark design will take place between then and now.