Five finalists have been chosen to develop plans for an open green space in downtown Omaha.
Omaha by Design launched the Green in the City project in September. The goal is to transform a site at 10th and Pacific Streets, near the new home of the Bluebarn Theatre and Boxcar 10, into an open space.
Omaha by Design Project Manager Connie Spellman says they want the space to be innovative and a model for other cities.
"We’d like to see it not just be a design space, but a space that really can be used in conjunction with the patrons of the Bluebarn Theatre, of the neighborhood that surrounds the area, and a model for what other open spaces can really be designed as in the future."
The finalists will meet with Bluebarn officials, than detail their proposals for the green space. The developer will be chosen in early 2014. Once the green space is complete, it’ll be owned and maintained by the Bluebarn Theatre.
One of the five finalists is Omaha-based DeOld Andersen Architecture. The other firms are in Chicago, Aspen, New York, and Kansas City.