| Midtown Crossing at Turner Park | |
| Location: | Omaha, Nebraska USA |
| Status: | Complete |
| Opening: | May 19, 2010[1] |
| Main Contractor: | Weitz |
| Architect: | Holland Basham Architects & Cope Linder Architects |
| Structural Engineer: | Nielsen-Baumert Engineering |
| Developer: | ECI Investment Advisors |
| Map Type: | Nebraska |
Midtown Crossing at Turner Park is a vibrant mixed-use development in midtown Omaha, featuring retail, office, residential spaces and green areas. Renowned for its bustling local business scene and year-round community events, this 16-acre seven-building development hosts more than 30 retail and office tenants,, 297 condominiums, 196 apartment units, and picturesque Turner park.[2]
The neighborhood sits between Farnam and Dodge Streets and 31st and 33rd Streets, east of the Blackstone District and west of downtown Omaha. Free community events, held in 7-acre Turner Park, are a hallmark of the development and include festivals, concerts, and health and wellness gatherings.
Midtown Crossing hosts approximately 100 events each year, including:
Minutes from the vibe and excitement in downtown, UNMC and Creighton University, guests relish being steps away from the off-leash Dewey Dog Park, Omaha's bike trail system called the "Paths of Discovery", countless city parks and the iconic Blackstone neighborhood. A short walk away are historic and intriguing finds including the Gold Coast's mansion Joslyn Castle, the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens, and Saint Cecilia's Cathedral.
The origins of Turner Park date back to 1900. Charles Turner, a Nebraska pioneer and prominent real estate professional, donated the original land to the city to be used as a public park. (It was a gift of six acres. The park grew to 7.5 acres with the development of Midtown Crossing.) Turner wanted the park to be known as Curtiss Turner Park in memory of his son, 35-year-old Curtiss C. Turner. A prominent civil engineer, Curtiss Turner was killed in a snow slide in 1898 while working in Alaska's Klondike country at Chilkoot Pass.
Beginning in 1922 the American War Mothers labored to raise money for a World War I monument in Omaha.[5] By 1925 an impressive $250,000 structure of Bedford limestone designed by famed war memorial sculptor Lorado Taft was proposed for a prominent point in Elmwood Park.[6] However, after years of waning interest, a scaled-back monument was eventually sited and dedicated on November 1, 1937, at the southeast corner of Turner Park.[7]
Turner Park was expanded to seven acres and completely renovated during the construction of Midtown Crossing. The most recent enhancement is the Pavilion at Turner Park, which provides a permanent stage and infrastructure for live music and performance arts on the east end of the park.
Turner Park is a dog-friendly park, home to numerous art installations and amenities, including:
Led by Chairman and CEO Daniel Neary, Mutual of Omaha planned and financed the development which opened to the public in 2010. Midtown Crossing represented the first major project tied to Destination Midtown, a public/private partnership focused on returning historic midtown Omaha to prominence.