People who work, play or otherwise have an interest in Midtown Omaha’s future are invited to help develop the vision for Destination Midtown by attending the second round of community workshops on July 7 and 8.
Destination Midtown is defined by 24th Street to Saddle Creek Road; Cuming Street to Center Street. The workshops next week will be segmented into three sub-areas – the area north of Dodge Street; the area between Dodge Street and Leavenworth Street; and the area south of Leavenworth Street.
Three similar workshops were held last month to begin the process of receiving input from the community. At the July 7-8 meetings, Destination Midtown representatives will recap the findings from the June meetings and begin the process of developing vision statements for the three sub-areas as well as the entire study area.
The meetings, which are open to the public, will be held at the following times and sites:
- July 7, 7 to 9 p.m., to discuss the area north of Dodge Street; St. Bernadette Hall at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral Grade School, 3869 Webster St.
- July 8, 10 a.m. to noon, to discuss the area between Dodge Street and Leavenworth Street; First Lutheran Church, 542 S. 31st Street, enter using west alley door.
- July 8, 7 to 9 p.m., to discuss the area south of Leavenworth Street; Mercy High School Franney Hall, 4677 Woolworth Ave. On-street parking and surface parking at Holy Cross.
According to Mutual of Omaha Senior Vice President John McClelland, who serves as the chairman of the Destination Midtown Steering Committee, the input from the participants at last month’s meetings was informative and demonstrated a real commitment to making positive changes in the Midtown district.
“We were very encouraged by the participation in the initial workshops,” McClelland said. “The attendees were very engaged in the process and provided valuable feedback. That enthusiasm is exactly what we need to make this project successful.”
The Destination Midtown Steering Committee is made up of a unique group of governmental, business, education, healthcare and neighborhood leaders. Building upon the area’s historic strengths, the group wants to raise the profile of the area within the greater Omaha metro to create a new point of destination, similar to the Old Market.
After assessing Midtown’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), the steering committee hopes to develop steps for creating a new, vibrant destination for the Omaha area. The Destination Midtown partners envision a unified commercial and residential community that attracts more people to the area to live, raise families, shop, work and play.
For more information on these meetings, call 346-5000 or visit the Destination Midtown Web site at www.omahachamber.org/DestinationMidtown.