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Designing Omaha’s First Entertainment District – The Capitol District
Anchored by the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District, the Capitol District to bring apartments, retail, office and outdoor space to downtown Omaha. A new district is emerging in downtown Omaha. The Capitol District, a mixed-use development combining hotel, apartments, retail, office, and outdoor entertainment, will open in phases starting in August with the opening of the new premier full-service Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District. An Iconic Hotel The building’s “wow” feature, winged corners on its south side, enable breathtaking 270-degree views of downtown Omaha’s skyline that are unique in the city. The full-service hotel features over 17,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, hospitality suites, a roof top swimming pool with bar/entertainment area, full-service restaurant and bar and extra-large fitness center. A Social Hotspot “Hotels are becoming social hubs, places to hang out before and after events, and just popular cultural hotspots in general. We wanted the design to encourage locals and visitors to mingle in a casual but sophisticated environment,” said Michelle Holmes, interior designer with LEO A DALY. Comprising three main uses – lounge, dining room, and bar – the different portions of the grand lobby spill over into each other to create a cohesive but intimate gathering space. Local materials such as brick and iron bring the warehouse style of the Old Market into a sophisticated space, according to Holmes. Wood paneling hints at Omaha’s roots, but is tailored with modern sophistication in keeping with Marriott’s midcentury-modern-inspired aesthetic. “It’s all about layering textures – marrying old and new,” added Holmes. A Dynamic Urban Hub “We wanted to create a vibrant, walkable enclave that is unlike anything else in downtown,” said Hawes. “The design invites visitors who may feel isolated in the events district to experience the real Omaha, while also creating a comfortable, active place for residents to live, work, and play.” Capitol District will be the first entertainment district in Omaha, taking advantage of a new city ordinance that allows alcoholic beverages outdoors. To complement the wide-open concept, the mixed-use design provides portals to entertainment that celebrates community use. The hotel and 218-unit Capitol District Apartments bookend the District on the east and west, each offering public-facing retail and bar spaces that spill out onto a central plaza, which is designed to serve as a modern town square. The hardscaped plaza, inspired by other great outdoor venues across the country, will have programming year-round, such as ice-skating and outdoor concerts. The buildings embrace the street at their base with strong, linear forms of masonry, glass and steel, “modern in form, but embracing the industrial heritage of the surrounding areas,” Hawes added. Development Progress Progress has been rapid on the Capitol District Apartments, set to open in July. Using a proprietary modular construction system designed and engineered by Prescient, general contractor MCL Construction was able to complete structural work on a floor per week basis to complete the building in record time. Views of the project site can also be seen live at: http://www.workzonecam.com/projects/shamrock/capitaldistrict/workzonecam. For more information about the Omaha Marriott Downtown, visit http://www.downtownomahamarriott.com/. For more information about The Capitol District Apartments, visit http://livecapitoldistrict.com. About the Capitol District About the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District The hotel is managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a leader in the hospitality industry since 1962. Marcus Hotels & Resorts creates asset value for hotel owners through its expertise in management, development and product repositioning, including hotel food and beverage concepts developed by its Marcus Restaurant Group. For more information, please visit: https://media.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@MarcusHotels). About Leo A Daly |