Riverfront development is on the minds of both Omaha and Council Bluffs city officials as they hold an open house on the issue.
The open house takes place at the Holland Performing Arts Center at 6:00-8:00p.m.
On Monday, ideas flowed on what should be built along the Missouri River.
“I think they need to continue the process of rediscovery and redevelopment. To have a river through the heart of town is a great blessing and I think they've discovered that again and they're going for it,” said Joe Reiss, an Omaha native currently living in Arizona.
Reiss and his wife Michelle are visiting for a wedding and says the difference from now until they both lived here 25-years ago is like night and day, “the difference is tremendous, Omaha has seemed to discover something in itself that wasn't here when we lived here.”
That ‘something’ is still up for grabs as Elizabeth Blowers wants to make her energetic 2-year-old worn out, “Something I think would be great is a playground”.
Blowers wishes more riverfront development would have already happened, “I'm surprised there hasn't been more, there's ton of space down here, there's a ton of attractions.”
In Council Bluffs, Deb Ceder wants the power of prayer to resurrect the riverfront, “I think it would be great if they had a church there”.
Others suggest more shops and retail to bring in more people, “Even a little coffee shop just around the corner, a playground where the kids can play even having a running trail,” said Stephanie Pinal.
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert along with Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh will be in attendance. The ideas generated at the open house will inform the project team regarding preferences, priorities and concerns.
The study is being privately funded by the nonprofit Downtown Riverfront Trust LLC.
If you missed this meeting there will be other open house opportunities.
To watch a livestream of the meeting go to: http://riverfrontrevitalization.com/
