Destination Midtown unveils neighborhood gardens

Bob Bartee, board chairman of Destination Midtown, speaks at Tuesday’s press conference.

Destination Midtown Tuesday unveiled plans to establish “identity” gardens throughout the Destination Midtown neighborhood. The announcement was made at the corner of Woolworth Avenue and Turner Boulevard at the site of a similar neighborhood garden.

The new gardens, designed to help define the Destination Midtown neighborhoods, will be located in each of the 11 neighborhoods and at the four corners of the area. The Destination Midtown boundaries are 24th Street on the east, Saddle Creek Road on the west, Center Street on the south and Cuming Street on the north.

“The Peter Kiewit Foundation is enthused about supporting the Destination Midtown action plan,” said Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein, executive director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation, which provided a grant for the garden project. “We believe it is vital to keep the core of our city healthy and attractive. This is a historically vibrant neighborhood of Omaha and the potential of this initiative should energize every citizen. We are behind this effort 100 percent and eagerly anticipate its visible progress.”

Mayor Mike Fahey discusses Destination Midtown in front of one of the new gardens and signs.

“We appreciate the Peter Kiewit Foundation’s investment in Destination Midtown,” said Bob Bartee, board chairman of Destination Midtown and executive assistant to the chancellor at UNMC. “This generous gift serves as a perfect example of the public – private partnerships that Destination Midtown has promoted to help achieve our vision. Thanks to the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the City of Omaha, and the neighborhood associations for making this exciting proposal become a reality.”

Destination Midtown will work with the neighborhood association and the business and civic groups in the area to coordinate locations and assure adoption of the garden for maintenance and care. Each garden will include a flower garden, a historic light and a sign identifying the neighborhood within Destination Midtown. Construction of the gardens will begin immediately; all 15 should be completed within the next year.

The mission of Destination Midtown is to create a premier urban environment where people want to live, work, shop and play. The vision of Destination Midtown is to establish a nationally known, vibrant and distinct urban environment that promotes economic development opportunities, advances neighborhood goals and forges unique partnerships.

What others said

Mayor Mike Fahey — “Great projects are underway in Midtown Omaha, from the city’s traffic studies to Mutual’s 8-acre redevelopment to this beautification project. Destination Midtown remains the model for what broad partnerships can do for community revitalization.”

David G. Brown, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce president and CEO — “This is another important step demonstrating the energy within Destination Midtown – a vibrant urban community where people come to live, work, shop and play.”

Tawanna Black, Destination Midtown manager — “We are grateful to the Peter Kiewit Foundation for their generous grant that allows us to establish this signature project in our neighborhood. The gardens give us the opportunity to beautify the area while creating and identifying a unique district with one common image and theme.”