Omaha MidCentury Modern

Enjoy the newly renovated neon on the landmark Omaha Start newspaper building.

A Landmarked Omaha building! Constructed in 1942 and designed by Omaha architect Rheinholdt Henning, the concrete block apartment buildings represent a late example of the Prairie style of architecture.  Each building is two stories in height with a low pitched hipped roof and wide over-hanging eaves.  The central entrances feature and enclosed vestibule on the first floor with narrow band windows.  The second floor features open glass vestibles with multi-paned windows in simple geometric forms.  An integral planter is loacted on the left side of the entrance on each building .  The strong horizontal lines of yhe buildings is reinforced with a second floor belt course projecting overhang above the main entrances and casement windows.

The Selby Apartment are significant at the local level under National Register Criteria A for their association with Social History.  The buildings were constructed with restriction imposed by the World War II Production Board, which nation-wide, monitored and regulated building construction according to necessity or contribution to the war effort.  War workers or military personnel were given preferential status as renters when the buildings were completed in 1942.  Appropriate to its period of construction, the Marcy Street unit contains a former air raid shelter in the basement.

 

CONSTRUCTION HISTORY:
Local parents initiated the idea of a pedestrian bridge over Dodge Street in the early 1960s, with the intent to provide a safe route for their children as they crossed the busy street in their way to and from St. Margaret Marys School.  It was the fourth pedestrian overpass constructed in the city, following the 1961-62 construction of a prefabricated  overpass at 42^nd and Grover Street, and two over West Center (at intersections with 98^th and 108^th Streets) in 1966.[1]  Had it been built when originally intended, it would have been the city’s second pedestrian overpass.  The Dodge Street Overpass eventually became one of 19 overpasses built between 1962 and 1979, and it stands out for both its design and as a bellwether for the City of Omaha’s “one-per-year” policy to construct pedestrian overpasses at critical school crossing points.  By the 1970s Omaha claimed to have one of the country’s largest school overpass programs.[2]
While recognized as an important safety need, financial and other constraints delayed the Dodge Street Overpass construction for two years.  Dodge Street also served as State Route 6, with an associated higher level of traffic than other city streets.  By the 1960s Dodge was recognized as the most heavily used street in the city, and parents were concerned for the safety of children who had to cross the four-lane road on their way to and from school. Omaha City Council responded by hiring the firm of Durand, Jackson and Associates, Inc., to design a “structure of beauty” over the road.[3]  In 1965 the firm presented an S-shaped foot bridge that featured an unpainted steel span with a concrete deck.  It was to include electric wires embedded in the floor to melt snow and ice.  Construction of the overpass would coincide with an improvement project underway that summer that added a fifth lane to Dodge Street between52^nd and 72^nd Streets. 
Difficulties arose shortly after the city opened bids in early August 1965, expecting that the cost would be less than the estimated $50,000.[4]  The lowest bid, however, came in at $62,590.  In addition, misprintings in some of the notices resulted in a late bid by another bidder, Foster-Smetana.  Although the Mayor and Public Works Director considered making modifications to the design and readvertising for bids in order to bring down costs,  the project was ultimately shelved.[5]
By 1967 about 32,000 cars a day passed the intersection of Happy Hollow Boulevard and Dodge Street,[6] and local parents continued to push for a Dodge Street overpass.  That year Mayor Sorensen requested funds for the Durand design from the City Council.[7]  As happened previously, initiation of the project encountered some opposition:  While Public Works Director William Korbitz approved of the proposed location, the Director of Parks, Recreation and Public Property promoted a location further west, arguing that the proposed location might possibly damage plantings and impede views of the World War II Memorial.[8]  Newspapers reported that construction costs were estimated to be between $50,000 to $75,000, and although Foster-Smetana Company submitted a low bid of $66,085, Korbitz recommended that all six bids submitted be rejected as too high.[9]  However, in early July Mayor Sorensen overrode objections and recommended acceptance of the low bid.  Citing his conversation with the Mayor, Korbitz said that the safety of the children was of the utmost
[1] Edward Trandahl, “City Hopes Bonds Will Bridge Overpass Gap,”Sunday World-Herald, October 1, 1972; “Overpasses in Pedestrians’ Future,” May 6, 1969, Newspaper unknown, OPL.
[2] Michael Kelly, “U.S. Ruling May Bar Adding Overpasses,” Omaha World-Herald, May 11, 1979, OPL.
[3] “Dodge to Get Pedestrian Overpass,” Omaha World-Herald, August 22, 1965, OPL.
[4] “Dodge to Get Pedestrian Overpass.”
[5] “Overpass Bid Comes ‘Late”, Foster Entry Waits a Legal Answer,” August 26, 2965, newspaper unknown, OPL; City Seeking Bridge Idea,” August 31, 1965, newspaper unknown, OPL.
[6] “Memorial Park-Elmwood Span Bid Is $66,085,” Omaha World-Herald, June 22, 1967, OPL.
[7] “Mayor Given Walk Dispute, Overpass for Dodge is the Question,” newspaper unknown, OPL.
[8] “Mayor Given Walk Dispute…”; “Dodge Walkway Topic For Monday,” ———————
[9] “Overpass Bid Comes First.  City Will Decide on Locations Later,” no newspaper cited, May 29, 1967, OPL; “Dodge Walkway Topic For Monday;” “ ‘Reject Bids’ on Overpass, Cost May Necessitate a Design Change,” Omaha World-Herald, June 24, 1967, OPL.
consideration, and that it was also more important to build something attractive than to save 10 or 20 thousand dollars.[1]
Construction began shortly thereafter, and in order to work out some design details, Omaha Steel Works fabricated a model.[2]  Although completion was estimated for December 1967, delays in the delivery of fabricated steel and cold weather pushed back the completion date. In mid-December, the nine-ton box girder that served as the base for the elevated crosswalk was installed.  Placing the span involved halting traffic for 10 minutes while a crane suspended the girder as it while it was bolted to its two base pillars.[3]    The bridge finally opened in April,1968.[4]  A final seal of approval occurred the following year when the American Institute of Steel Construction awarded a “Prize Bridge” to Dodge Street Overpass, one of six such designations selected from 153 entries in the national competition.[5]
[1] “ ‘Looks, Safety First on Dodge Overpass’ ”, newspaper unknown, July 5, 1967, OPL.
[2] “Solving Overpass Problems,” October 19, 1967.  Newspaper unknown, OPL.
[3] “Girder Spans Dodge Street…”
[4] “Deck of Overpass Sprears [sic] Above Dodge Street;” “Now They Can Cross in Safety,” Omaha World-Herald, April 24, 1969, OPL.
[5] “Steel Institute Honors Overpass,” West Omaha-Dundee Sun, September 4, 1969; “Steel Institute Honors Overpass,” West Omaha-Dundee Sun, September 4, 1969, OPL.

 

On its free-standing metal pole, the La Casa sign is approximately 15 feet tall and is located on the north side of Leavenworth Street, a major east-west Omaha thoroughfare.  The adjacent La Casa Restaurant, like sign, reflects the area’s evolution into a commercial strip.  The south side of Leavenworth between 42nd and west to Saddlecreek Road, is still predominantly residential with one story bungalows and gable roofed, temple-front houses.  The La Casa restaurant (not part of the current nomination) originated in a small gable roofed frame house; the business opened on June 8, 1953. Although the restaurant building has continued to evolve through time, the original gable roof is still visible.
Constructed in 1957, the sign features a rotund characature of a  "troubadour", Peppi, who plucks a mandolin. The figure, which measures approximately 8 feet in height, has a drooping handlebar mustache, green hat, red shirt, loose tie and royal blue trousers. The sign’s details are outlined in various shades of neon:  the hat and trousers in blue; the hair, face, mustache, fingers and mandolin in both orange and yellow; while the tie is outlined with green neon. The feet rest on a rectangular metal base that measures approximately four feet by two feet and features the words "La Casa" in pink neon exaggerated modern letters. Peppi "plucks" the mandolin; this is the only moving feature of the sign.
Although the sign has been repainted through time, the colors of the green hat and red shirt have remained constant. The trousers however, were originally black. Overall, the sign exhibits an exceptional degree of integrity and has been well maintained since its date of construction.

 A Landmarked Omaha building! Constructed in 1942 and designed by Omaha architect Rheinholdt Hennig, the concrete block apartment buildings represent a late example of the Prairie style of architecture. Each building is two stories in height with a low pitched hipped roof and wide over-hanging eaves. The central entrances feature an enclosed vestibule on the first floor with narrow band windows. The second floor features open glass vestibules with multi-paned windows in simple geometric forms. An integral planter is located on the left side of the entrance on each building. The strong horizontal lines of the buildings is reinforced with a second floor belt course projecting overhang above the main entrances and casement windows.

The Selby Apartments are significant at the local level under National Register Criteria A for their association with Social History. The buildings were constructed with restrictions imposed by the World War II War Production Board, which nation-wide monitored and regulated building construction according to necessity or contribution to the war effort. War workers or military personnel were given preferential status as renters when the buildings were completed in 1942. Appropriate to its period of construction, the Marcy Street unit contains a former air raid shelter in the basement.