City, consultants molding arena ‘site concepts’
Plans for a possible new arena in Lincoln continue to evolve, and a public relations consultant has been hired to “engage the public” on the arena in the coming months.
Kent Morgan, the city’s point person for the arena project, said the city is working on various site layouts now that a developer, architect and several consultants have been chosen to work on the arena project.
An arena planning committee had previously come up with a preferred site layout that would put the arena straight west of the downtown post office at 700 R St.
That layout was supported by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Tom Osborne because it would put the arena closest to their campus.
But the site layout is being tweaked now that the city is integrating its plans with Lincoln Traction Partners, a development team headed up by Robert and Will Scott.
Their team was chosen to develop two hotels, a conference center, retail, offices and condos associated with the arena.
Morgan said the Scotts’ proposal was somewhat different from the city’s site concepts, in areas such as road layouts and their proposal to develop retail and condos and integrate a hotel into the arena.
Once a revised site concept is solidified, it will go before the city’s arena planning committee and then be presented to the public for input.
“Typically people provide better input when they are able to react to concepts rather than working from a blank slate,” Morgan said.
In other arena news, the private group of business leaders called 2015 Vision recently hired a consultant to help engage the public on the arena project.
They hired Jennifer Brinkman, who has been self-employed since 2005, but prior to that served as an adviser to several local and statewide elected officials.
She worked in the Legislature and as a lobbyist for the governor’s office and the city of Lincoln.
Brinkman worked in Sen. Don Wesely’s office for five years and served as an aide to Wesely when he was mayor of Lincoln, until 2001.
She is now a partner with Richters Brinkman, a consulting firm founded by mayoral aide Rick Hoppe. He sold the company several years ago to go to work for former Mayor Coleen Seng.
Brinkman said she will work on educating the public and giving the public ways to offer feedback on the arena project.
She is setting up a Web site about the arena project and is assembling a “speaker’s bureau” — a group of arena ambassadors who can explain the project to area groups. They and the Web site will try to help the public understand everything from what the arena would look like to how it would be financed.
If the City Council votes (most likely in February) to put the arena issue on the ballot, Lincoln voters will decide whether to build a new arena in the spring.
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
Kent Morgan, the city’s point person for the arena project, said the city is working on various site layouts now that a developer, architect and several consultants have been chosen to work on the arena project.
An arena planning committee had previously come up with a preferred site layout that would put the arena straight west of the downtown post office at 700 R St.
That layout was supported by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Tom Osborne because it would put the arena closest to their campus.
But the site layout is being tweaked now that the city is integrating its plans with Lincoln Traction Partners, a development team headed up by Robert and Will Scott.
Their team was chosen to develop two hotels, a conference center, retail, offices and condos associated with the arena.
Morgan said the Scotts’ proposal was somewhat different from the city’s site concepts, in areas such as road layouts and their proposal to develop retail and condos and integrate a hotel into the arena.
Once a revised site concept is solidified, it will go before the city’s arena planning committee and then be presented to the public for input.
“Typically people provide better input when they are able to react to concepts rather than working from a blank slate,” Morgan said.
In other arena news, the private group of business leaders called 2015 Vision recently hired a consultant to help engage the public on the arena project.
They hired Jennifer Brinkman, who has been self-employed since 2005, but prior to that served as an adviser to several local and statewide elected officials.
She worked in the Legislature and as a lobbyist for the governor’s office and the city of Lincoln.
Brinkman worked in Sen. Don Wesely’s office for five years and served as an aide to Wesely when he was mayor of Lincoln, until 2001.
She is now a partner with Richters Brinkman, a consulting firm founded by mayoral aide Rick Hoppe. He sold the company several years ago to go to work for former Mayor Coleen Seng.
Brinkman said she will work on educating the public and giving the public ways to offer feedback on the arena project.
She is setting up a Web site about the arena project and is assembling a “speaker’s bureau” — a group of arena ambassadors who can explain the project to area groups. They and the Web site will try to help the public understand everything from what the arena would look like to how it would be financed.
If the City Council votes (most likely in February) to put the arena issue on the ballot, Lincoln voters will decide whether to build a new arena in the spring.
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
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