Lincolnite

Very interesting!

I’m not sure how I feel about that list.  I like Tour de Lincoln (the art project) and I guess I’m used to the skywalk.

I think the market will naturally correct itself with #1 and I’m not sure what the problem is with #2.  Both of these are prime chunks of real estate though.

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I don’t want all the fast food downtown to go away. It’s not great, but sometimes I’ve only got $3 and I’m hungry.

As for Nebraska Bookstore, I suspect University influence there. They’d love if Neb Bookstore just disappeared.

I thought Tour de Lincoln was pretty dumb (I’ve never thought of Lincoln as all that into bikes, and bikes are not the most aesthetic thing ever) but it didn’t turn out horrible. The 20 grand has nice big windows to showcase art in, which is great. Some more frequently changing displays would be nice, though.

And the 20 Grand?! They just built that! They sure change their minds quick.

Heh. you’re quick.

I’m not sure how I feel on the “amatuer art” quip. Not everyone that’s good at art makes money at it, and, honestly, a lot of people that do make money at it aren’t that good.  It’s a nice way to get people involved, I just think maybe they should think smaller scale so we don’t then have all these giant sculptures to place.

I have a conspiracy theory about Nebraska Bookstore.

Back in the late 90s or early 00s, when the university master plan was finished, one of the big recommendations was that campus needed to have an official entrance, aesthetically and functionally. 13th street was recommended.

The Ross and accompanying visitors center was criticized for its ugliness, but if you look at its architecture and brick coloring, there are aspects of it that mirror the Nebraska bookstore. And the visitors’ center is inside, so the groundwork has been laid.

Meanwhile, in the past few years, the university has done things like stop students from being able to use their NCards at Neb Bookstore; moved Big Red Welcome to stop Neb Bookstore from being able to have their own “wing” of the festivities; inconsistently fined Neb Bookstore for their sidewalk advertising while not fining others; and there was just something last year that they did with Neb Bookstore but I can’t remember.

Anyway, the university has obvious bookstore competition reasons for wanting to hurt Neb Bookstore, but I think they’re after that building. They want to officially make an entrance to the university as recommended by the Master Plan, and that big red building stands in the way.

Thanks for clarifying Mr. Wilson!

I like the fast-food option but that could be accomplished in other settings, freeing up that prime real estate for private use or for our land-locked university to gobble up.

That said, I sure as heck wouldn’t force the restaurants out.  They had the foresight to buy and develop the land, they should profit from it as market conditions allow.

Neal may be onto something there with the bookstore.  I think the building is fine but I can see how the university would like to acquire it.

I strongly agree with Karin about amateur art.

I was against the Grand, mostly because I liked how the individual movie theaters encouraged people to explore downtown.  I never believed there was a need for a multi-plex and the market seems to be playing that out.  I agree about the appearance of the The Grand, it does little to fit in with whatever architectural themes might (or might not) exist around it.  It’s unique unto itself.  Given the historic buildings around it, architects missed out on an opportunity to design something special.

I agree the design of the Grand is a bit too… amusement park for my taste, at the same time, if you’ve ever been to one of those communities that detail exactly what their buildings should look like, you know how boring they usually are. I don’t think new buildings need to “fit in” with the design of the older ones, though I do think we should do what we can to preserve and showcase older buildings.

Neal - I used to work inside Neb Bookstore (not for the bookstore, for Blick) and I can say the animosity from the university is felt (though probably imagined to be worse than it is.) What’s funny (to me) is that the Uni is now renting space from Neb. Bookstore- the area where copyworks used to be.

This is kind of off-topic, but does anyone know what is being built in the downtown Amigos parking lot?  From the size and the shape of the foundation, my best guess at this time is a new, drive-though only Amigos…

Swid…I have no earthly idea.  I work across the street and I walk by every day and try to figure it out.  I have some basic construction knowledge, and I thought they were removing an underground storage tank at first (two months ago).  Nope.  I thought they would be done by now, but at least they are making progress on filling what was a very deep hole.

I can’t imagine they would take out indoor seating, though, since that Amigo’s does some serious lunch business. I don’t believe they did any underground utility work for a structure either, but I could have missed it.

Could it be a walk-up only Runza? :O)

My guess is a walk-up/drive-thru coffee shop.

Good call, because the area is lacking a coffee shop.  Or not.

Very interesting, Neal.  It’s obvious UNL doesn’t like Nebraska Bookstore.  Never thought that the reason for that is they want their building.  Nebraska Bookstore is one of the (if not the) highest-grossing retail stores for Nebraska Book Company.  But last I heard, the store wasn’t doing so well and there were rumblings that they may think about closing it.  That seems less likely with the renovations and additions they’ve undertaken since.  But it’s a very interesting theory nonetheless, and there’s probably a fair amount of truth to it.

UNL also doesn’t like Nebraska bookstore because they’re in direct competition for textbook dollars- very big business.

Also, Neb Bookstore ran a free beer promotion a while back and I don’t think the university was amused. I sure was, though.

Mr. Wilson is right!

A quick scan of building permits shows a building permit to Roger and Jan Moore for a “new coffee house.”  The permit indicates $230,000 in improvements/development.

FYI, there’s also a permit for a new Runza at 610 West O St.