Remaking a 1970’s Downtown Park Into a New Public Realm

Gene Leahy Mall is the first of three parks to reopen in a 72-acre Riverfront Revitalization Project in downtown Omaha. The park program, validated through a rigorous public process, transforms an existing inaccessible space into a reimagined regional destination. The downtown core is activated into a public realm that will connect to the Missouri River for the first time in decades. A nonprofit maintains and operates the park with events that encourage social and physical health and wellness. Diverse, active programming is paired with places for reflection and connection to nature, underscoring Omaha’s commitment to community vibrancy.

The 14.5-acre Gene Leahy Mall was constructed in 1977 in a wave of urban revitalization that brought green space, people, business, and commerce to the city core. As downtown grew, the steep edges of the original sunken park with a meandering lagoon at its center presented challenges of access, activation, and numerous internal circulation issues. In a total rethinking of access, the western half of the site is raised to street level to welcome pedestrians at all points, and the interior is replanned with a series of outdoor rooms that support changing civic needs. The heart of the park is the new event lawn and performance pavilion that supports self-produced as well as professional concerts and performances. A sculpture garden houses rotating artists and a permanent sculpture inspired by Omaha culture anchors the west end of the park. A grouping of trellises to the southwest provides gathering spaces for large groups that gather to enjoy food trucks parked nearby. Striking custom play structures inside the Arches Playground are a magnet for children, with additional thoughtful amenities for parents and caregivers. The historic US National Bank Arches are replanned as the anchor to a new plaza and pedestrian promenade with an overhead lighting canopy and a custom swing structure. The Downtown Slides, an icon of the original park, are given new life. A new water feature marks the grade transition from the west and directs to a new pond that includes aquatic plants, ample seating along the perimeter and a new boat cove and amphitheater. A smaller event lawn and trellis anchor the eastern end of the park, providing an additional venue for intimate events. Dog parks along the northern edge take advantage of grading challenges to provide an exciting, sculptural landscape; the edge along the park includes opportunities for people without pets to enjoy the activity. The significant grade change along the park’s length was a key design challenge for accessibility. Input from community access advocates led to the design of numerous routes to each amenity, opportunities for companion seating, and a playground with transfer systems, low-impact features and a variety of size and enclosure spaces. Excavates stone and materials are repurposed throughout the site. The park heavily features native prairie plants. Significant soil improvements enhance the sites’ ability to sequester carbon and reduce runoff. The park trees include a wide range of native and adapted species that diversify the city’s urban forest canopy and mitigate heat island effect. The new Gene Leahy Mall has already transformed downtown Omaha, connecting the entertainment and cultural destinations with new businesses, residential and office development, and signaling the importance of open space for the quality of life. The final phase of the Riverfront Revitalization will open in the summer of 2023. Heartland of America Park will connect to the east end of Gene Leahy Mall, and Lewis and Clark Landing, a remediated brownfield site, will create a new destination along the Missouri River. As the gateway to Downtown and the Old Market, the renovation of Gene Leahy Mall is an essential step in the transformation of Omaha’s riverfront.

• HDR - Design Lead, Master Plan, Landscape Architecture: OJB Landscape Architecture Civil, Environmental, Architectural, Structural, Public Involvement, Transportation, Permitting, Bridge
• Kiewit - Construction Management
• Gensler - Architecture
• Atelier Ten - Lighting Design
• MR Global - Specialty Lighting
• Fluidity - Water Feature Design
• RSM Design - Environmental Graphic Design
• Studio Ludo - Play Consultant
• Alvine Engineering - Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineering
• Pine and Swallow - Soil Science
• ADBC Architecture & Engineering - Site Structures
• Terracon - Geotechnical Engineering and Special Inspections
• RES (formerly Applied Ecological Services) - Restoration Ecologist
• Walker Consultants - Parking Consultant
• Water Scape - Irrigation
• Lamp Rynearson Associates - Survey and Platting
• Marx | Okubo - ADA Consultant
• OJB Landscape Architecture - Landscape Architecture

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