Building Skyscrapers in Lincoln?

[Haspula]

Do you guys think we should build a few skyscrapers in Lincoln, just like an omaha? A skyscraper that would be viewable from Memorial stadium, improving the appearance of memorial, as well as improve Lincoln's skyline. If omaha's has a few of them, i don't see why Lincoln shouldn't build a couple. Budgeting shoudn't be a problem since we build new arenas/expand around the city yearly

 

If you guys don't know what I am talking about, here's Omaha's biggest one (634 feet):

 

[knapplc]

City of Lincoln zoning rules prohibit any building taller than the State Capitol building. The tallest buildings you see in Lincoln are as high as they are allowed to build.

[VA Husker Fan]

Isn't it a state law that no building in Lincoln can be taller than the capitol building? Or is that just a fable?

 

Even if not, you don't build a tall building just for aesthetics. You can say budgeting shouldn't be a problem, but unless you're in control of a budget, how can you say that? Is there a demand for downtown office space that would make it feasible for someone to build it? I doubt that "Omaha" built any of those skyscrapers, rather, businesses in Omaha did. There's a lot of money in Omaha. Lincoln, probably not so much. I don't really care if it happens or not, but I don't see it happening any time soon, and I think your reasons for having one or more aren't sound.

[Foppa]

Not to be insensitive, but this is a dumb poll. As knapplc already stated, the laws that founded this farmtown cannot have a building too high for blue-hairs to risk a neck injury by having to look up at it. Ok...so he didn't state it like that, but it will never happen, so no point discussing it.

[knapplc]

Not to be insensitive, but this is a dumb poll. As knapplc already stated, the laws that founded this farmtown cannot have a building too high for blue-hairs to risk a neck injury by having to look up at it. Ok...so he didn't state it like that, but it will never happen, so no point discussing it.

 

Believe me, it was implied.

 

I agree with the sentiment of your post. It's absurd that we can't have taller towers in Lincoln. I don't know that it's hampering growth much, but it's not helping.

 

The State Capitol building is swell. But it's not so end-all, be-all important that we have to maintain it as the dominant architectural structure in the skyline. I think it's an absurd law. Maybe it'll change in a few decades, when some of the blue-hairs die off.

[rawhide]

When was that law passed??

 

 

Might be in here somewhere:

 

http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/index.htm

[VA Husker Fan]

The capitol is about 400 feet tall. The next tallest building is well less than half that if http://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings-lincoln-ne-usa is correct. If you think a silly law is keeping the skyline low, guess again. There's clearly no demand for anything remotely close to a 400 foot high building. What's the downtown office occupancy rate these days? There's not even a building in the top 10 that's gone up in the last 80 years. The Cornhusker Hotel was built about 30 years ago and has to be close to top 10 in height, but I hear it lost the Marriott name and it sounds like it's not doing well.

 

I can remember hearing about that law when I was in grade school in the 60s/70s, and my impression is that it had been a law since the capitol was erected, though . I suspect the blue hairs that passed the law are long gone by now. The law is still on the books because nobody has a reason to get it repealed.

[knapplc]

The Catalyst Project at 13th & Q, 10 stories, is going up right now.

 

 

EDIT - actually, the East Stadium upgrade will be eight-ish stories, equal to the West Stadium. Those would both be on that list.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

The Catalyst Project at 13th & Q, 10 stories, is going up right now.

 

 

EDIT - actually, the East Stadium upgrade will be eight-ish stories, equal to the West Stadium. Those would both be on that list.

I have been told that they wanted to put a high rise there but the law forbid them. I think it'd be neat.

[Minnesota_husker]

The new building/parking ramp across from Wendys is a good start but Lincoln needs to accept growth and throw a few giant skyscrapers in there. That will attract businesses....

[knapplc]

The new building/parking ramp across from Wendys is a good start but Lincoln needs to accept growth and throw a few giant skyscrapers in there. That will attract businesses....

 

I think that's what VA was getting at - there's no call for that here. Lincoln doesn't do enough to encourage major investment by outside companies. We have a pretty decent school right here, but few jobs for the graduates.

 

Boulder, CO is one example of what a school can do to partner with its community to create an environment conducive to keeping their graduates in town, fueling growth and stimulating the economy. Boulder brought in companies like Lockheed Martin, IBM, the NCAR/NOAA, etc., all of whom provide high-paying jobs that Lincoln doesn't.

 

Lincoln is a nice town. It's quiet and simple and relatively convenient. But it is not a growth-oriented town, and there are a LOT of people here who want to keep it as small as possible. I don't understand that mentality, but it's quite common around here.

[VA Husker Fan]

The Catalyst Project at 13th & Q, 10 stories, is going up right now.

 

 

EDIT - actually, the East Stadium upgrade will be eight-ish stories, equal to the West Stadium. Those would both be on that list.

I have been told that they wanted to put a high rise there but the law forbid them. I think it'd be neat.

At 10 stories, that's going to be quite a bit under 400 feet. I find it hard to believe they would reject a 400 foot proposed building citing that law, and force them down to what, about 120 ft? I'll admit I'm pretty out of touch with what's going on in Lincoln these days so I won't say much more. I did find the architect's site for the project and they talk about a 13 story planned building. http://www.sinclairhille.com/projectDetail.asp?PortID=134 Maybe there was early talk of a much taller building, i don't know.

[knapplc]

I find it hard to believe they would reject a 400 foot proposed building citing that law...

 

I don't. There's a huge uproar over every proposal in this city. The Arena project had some people having kittens, and they're still crying about it. The Luddites want to keep Lincoln this tiny little farm town. It's bizarre.

[VA Husker Fan]

I find it hard to believe they would reject a 400 foot proposed building citing that law...

 

I don't. There's a huge uproar over every proposal in this city. The Arena project had some people having kittens, and they're still crying about it. The Luddites want to keep Lincoln this tiny little farm town. It's bizarre.

I'm just saying, why didn't the developer come back with a 380 ft building, rather than a much, much smaller one? But it sounds like they probably would've found another reason to kill it.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I find it hard to believe they would reject a 400 foot proposed building citing that law...

 

I don't. There's a huge uproar over every proposal in this city. The Arena project had some people having kittens, and they're still crying about it. The Luddites want to keep Lincoln this tiny little farm town. It's bizarre.

I'm just saying, why didn't the developer come back with a 380 ft building, rather than a much, much smaller one? But it sounds like they probably would've found another reason to kill it.

I dont know all of the technical aspects of it. I just had a buddy in an architecture class a year ago, and his professor told him that they originally wanted to put a high rise in Lincoln. Whether it ever got put into submission is beyond my knowledge. But I would guess not.