Published June 1, 2009 in the Omaha World Herald
By Emily Babay
It’s already popular with workday walkers, curious tourists and families seeking fitness. And now that the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge boasts the new Omaha Plaza, officials hope the 3,000-foot span will become an even bigger attraction. The $1.8 million plaza – featuring a spray fountain and a play area – officially opened Sunday with a dedication by Mayor Mike Fahey. Tempting fate, the mayor stepped up to a podium placed on the circle of turned-off fountains and joked that he hoped the water didn’t turn on early. (It didn’t.)
This plaza, he told the dozens gathered, will be “something all Omahans can be proud of.”
Certainly the plaza, with landscaping and public art, played well with the younger set seeking a way to cool off. A circle of in-ground spigots sprayed water in various directions and at various speeds.
As water shot upward as high as 10 feet, the first brave children stuck their hands in. Soon a number of children and a few brave parents followed.
Erin Goaley, 10, and her grandmother stopped by after completing a walkathon for Parkinson’s disease. “It’s like a mini water park,” Erin said, before running off to dunk her head. Erin didn’t have a favorite spray, she said, because “they’re all awesome.” But she was particularly proud when she ran through the biggest spout; she held
up her hands triumphantly while her grandmother, Shirlee Goaley, cheered. Shirlee Goaley said the plaza is a good step toward keeping people in the downtown area. “It’s just a nice way to enjoy the afternoon with your grandchildren and children,” she said. That’s the idea, said Steve Scarpello, Omaha parks administrator. Scarpello said
the plaza should make the bridge “more of a destination place.”
And that’s not all. Plans are moving forward for a large-scale public park on the Council Bluffs side. Bluffs officials recently hired the landscape architecture firm Sasaki – acclaimed for its work on Beijing’s Olympic Green – for the project, Bluffs Parks Director Larry Foster said.
Construction is expected to begin next summer. Officials have said the project could incorporate green space, recreation areas,
housing and public art, though Foster said detailed plans for the riverfront aren’t ready yet.
Though a recent World-Herald poll found that many Omahans thought the bridge cost was a poor use of public funds, business people say they’re pleased with the increased activity it has brought to the riverfront. Residents of nearby condos enjoy the view. Police say that the influx of people has not led to more crime and that parking problems have been worked out.
The bridge has drawn a steady stream of visitors since it opened in September. No data exist on the total number of users, but a study by a University of Nebraska at Omaha professor found that an average of 187 people per hour used the bridge in October 2008.
Donald Greer, a professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, said last week that he has no reason to think that bridge use has significantly changed, though winter and early spring weather probably caused a decrease.
Scarpello of the Omaha Parks Department sees a simple explanation for the crowds: “People just want to be by the river,” he said, and the plaza will be one more place to enjoy.
Bridge visitors have increased business at Rick’s Café Boatyard, hostess Elizabeth Clark said last week. People often eat lunch at the restaurant at 345 Riverfront Drive after walking on the bridge.
“It’s not a one-time thing,” Clark said.
“People come back several times.”
Riverfront Place, a condominium project at the waterfront, also has benefited, said Ben Proctor, sales and marketing
manager. September 2008 was one of the best months for sales, he said.
“The bridge puts our development in front of a lot of people’s eyes.”
Because the Bluffs park is still in progress, the bridge is often a destination of its own, Greer said. “You go to the bridge to
go to the bridge.” Many visitors on a recent warm and windy
weekday afternoon were there for just that reason. Gwen Gill of Stapleton, Neb., was spending part of a vacation day there with her husband, Lloyd, and granddaughter. They enjoyed a leisurely stroll to take in the view.
“If you’re walking, you can take your time and see everything,” Gill said.
The bridge is near Cindy Vanek’s job at the Holland Performing Arts Center, making it perfect for a lunchtime walk. “It’s a nice route,” said Vanek, who walks on the bridge a few times a week.
Despite the increase in riverfront activity, both Omaha and Council Bluffs police say the bridge has not led to more crime in the area.
Since last November, Council Bluffs police have received no reports of incidents at the bridge, said Capt. Scott Milner.
Officer Jacob Bettin, an Omaha police spokesman, said the number of people on the bridge – potential witnesses -and police patrols on the riverfront probably deter crime. Members of the police riverfront patrol unit monitor the bridge on foot, Segway scooters and horses.
The bridge has been the target of minor graffiti and vandalism, Scarpello said. But he said security cameras soon to be installed at the plaza should help prevent that.
When the bridge first opened, visitors sometimes parked in unapproved spaces, officials said, but those complaints
largely stopped as people became more familiar with restrictions.
Parking is not allowed along Riverfront Drive, in the National Park Service lot during business hours, in the circle drive in front of the bridge or on the grass.
An April World-Herald poll found that 48 percent of 400 registered voters surveyed thought the money spent on the bridge was “very poorly invested,” but some bridge supporters say those concerns are fading. Clark, the restaurant hostess, said she has been hearing fewer complaints about the bridge’s cost. Lloyd Gill of Stapleton said the bridge’s completion should put the controversy in the past.
“It’s now time for it to be enjoyed,” he said.
