News Release
Date: Nov. 21, 2006
Contact: Connie Spellman, director
Phone: 402.342.3458
Fax: 402.342.3582
BENSON-AMES ALLIANCE PLAN RECEIVES CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL; STEERING COMMITTEE BEGINS WORK
OMAHA – The Omaha City Council has given the green light to a bold new vision for one of Omaha’s most distinctive and historic districts.
The council voted 7-0 to approve the Benson-Ames Alliance Plan at its Nov. 21 meeting. The plan received unanimous approval at the City of Omaha Planning Board’s October meeting.
The Benson-Ames Alliance was formed in September 2005 to plan for and implement the revitalization of the Benson-Ames area. Covering a portion of north-central Omaha roughly six miles in area, it contains more than 800 businesses - including schools and religious organizations - and 15,543 households.
“This plan has brought together various partners from government, to businesses, to the neighborhoods, and it will take the same type of cooperation and commitment to achieve the results we desire," said Mayor Mike Fahey. “I look forward to helping implement the Benson-Ames Alliance Plan and building upon the strengths and potential of the area.”
The alliance is bound by Western Avenue on the south, Sorensen Parkway on the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard on the east and 72nd Street on the west. The City of Omaha drew the boundaries based on the recommendations identified during the comprehensive urban design planning process and previous assessments conducted by the city’s planning department in the mid-1980s.
The plan sets forth a new framework of principles for future development and redevelopment projects, paying special attention to the design of commercial centers and their relationship to surrounding neighborhoods.
Using several important areas of the alliance as case studies, the plan encourages mixed-use centers that blend retail, residential and office elements to achieve balanced and truly livable neighborhoods. These areas include Downtown Benson, 72nd and Military, North Saddle Creek and Hamilton, and the Ames corridor at 50th and 60th streets.
Additional sections of the plan address transportation, housing and public space issues. It also contains recommendations on the restoration, conservation and preservation of housing stock, and offers ideas on creative and distinctive signage to reflect the community’s unique character.
Faculty, staff and graduate students in the Urban Studies Program and the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) provided research support for the plan, including an extensive household survey research report, housing analysis through the Neighborhood Scan program, an inventory and survey of area businesses, and a demographic and economic analysis. “Our research findings provided critical input to the final plan,” said Robert Blair, director of the Urban Studies Program and associate professor of public administration at UNO. This data will be part of a comprehensive technical appendix to the plan.
“The Benson-Ames Alliance Plan has the potential to dramatically improve life for residents and business owners in this vital part of our city,” said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design. “It also can serve as a model for the successful development of future alliances.”
A Benson-Ames Alliance Steering Council has formed to lead and oversee the plan’s recommendations. This group meets monthly and is currently in the process of forming its leadership team. Representatives from the City of Omaha, the Neighborhood Center for Greater Omaha and Omaha by Design serve as support staff to the steering council.
“The plan has given residents of the Benson-Ames Alliance area a real opportunity to help shape the future of their neighborhoods,” said Ronald Abdouch, executive director of the Neighborhood Center for Greater Omaha. “Our goal now is to help the alliance establish stronger neighborhood connections and create a work program for neighborhood improvements.”
To access the complete Benson-Ames Alliance plan, visit the web at http://www.omahabydesign.org and click on the Benson-Ames Alliance logo.
For more information about the plan, contact Teresa Gleason at 402.342.3458 or teresa@omahabydesign.org. For more information about the plan’s research component, contact Blair at 402.554.3865.
