O!maha’s facelift
There are only two seasons
in Omaha: winter and construction. This
common joke of locals proved true in 2003 with the beginning and completion of
many Omaha projects.
In April, Henry Doorly Zoo
opened the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit, “Kingdoms of the Night” under the
Desert Dome. It includes caves, a
“bottomless” pit, forest area, a stream and a swamp. “Kingdoms of the Night” is home to 75 animal species, including
eight different bat species. “I liked
the swamp area, it was very realistic.
There are a lot of different creatures that you normally wouldn’t see,”
said sophomore Sereene Talkington.
The overall atmosphere of
the new exhibit is “kind of like a haunted house because it’s dark and spooky,”
explained junior Caitlin Ellis.
Just across the street from
the zoo sits Rosenblatt Stadium, where the Royals’ traditional name returned to
Omaha. ‘Royals’ was changed in 1998 to
‘Golden Spikes’ in an effort to separate the team from the Kansas City
Royals. The name was changed again in
2003 because fans wished to go back to Royals.
“I like the ‘Royals’ better than ‘Golden Spikes’. I just figure, why change things?” said
junior Grace Rudersdorf.
In September, construction began
for the Dodge Street elevated expressway.
The project is estimated to take five years and cost $102 million. The expressway will allow better traffic
flow with a two-level roadway system between I-680 and 129th street,
making a less-congested drive through Omaha.
However, current construction makes Dodge Street a difficult drive. “I take Dodge to get to school. It takes so long, and traffic is so slow
with the construction. I’m excited for
it to be done though,” said senior Rachel Labedz.
Also in September, the Qwest
Center opened downtown. The $291
million arena has brought attractions such as John Mayer, Harlem Globetrotters,
Aerosmith and KISS. “It’s really big. It reminded me of the Civic [Auditorium],
just bigger,” said freshman Jessica Glassman, who attended the Harlem
Globetrotters basketball game on Jan. 3.
The Qwest Center’s
surrounding area will be enhanced after the Riverfront Place is completed. In November, Mayor Mike Fahey announced a
$35 million development between Gallup University and National Parks Service
Headquarters. The Riverfront Place is
planned to be complete in 2006 and will include residential and commercial
areas, riverfront access, a public plaza, walking trails and a pedestrian
bridge across the Missouri River.
In Omaha, 2003 brought many
exciting attractions. However, the
future can also be looked forward to for new changes and, as Omahans have
learned, more construction.