OJB has been selected to lead a Master Planning team to revitalize over 250 acres along the Missouri Riverfront in Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Both cities have been disconnected from the water due to years of industrial and railroad development and the implementation of levees and flood walls to protect both cities from the unpredictable river. The primary goal of the master plan is to reconnect these cities to the river both visually and physically and establish an unique experience that will not only unite residents of both communities, but act as a catalyst for redevelopment and reinvestment. Additional park programming and amenities will be introduced along with riverfront restoration and vegetation in an effort to significantly enhance the region’s quality of life.

The project currently is in the planning phase and OJB is working with the community, city leaders and the public to seek input on how to transform the riverfront. The first public meeting occurred mid-September and was well received by the community. The presentation led by Jim Burnett focused on how parks and programmed open space can transform and improve a city’s image and quality of life. Klyde Warren park in Dallas and Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City were used as case studies. The second public meeting is scheduled for mid-November.

Project Team

OJB Landscape Architecture
Biederman Redevelopment Group
Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Gensler
HDR
Lamp Rynearson
The Concord Group
Applied Ecological Services
RSM Design