A collaborative in victory

For some in Omaha, Cole Creek is nothing more than a drainage ditch, a nuisance that must be dealt with when local rainfall amounts are high.

For the Cole Creek partners, the waterway is a natural asset, an opportunity to create a valuable neighborhood amenity for residents of all ages to enjoy.

The neighborhood, in this case, is the Benson-Ames Alliance (B-AA), a grassroots movement of community volunteers working to improve their historic sector of Omaha. The B-AA was formed in September 2005 to revitalize the area bordered by Western Avenue on the south, Sorensen Parkway on the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard on the east and 72nd Street on the west.

The B-AA is striving to become the city’s first green alliance. Its goal is to be a sustainable community that actively seeks a balance between its natural and built environments. The Cole Creek Project will help achieve that goal.

The B-AA receives management and administrative support from Omaha by Design. This privately funded organization, dedicated to changing the face of Omaha through urban design and citizen engagement, has assembled a team of partners to execute the design, engineering and governmental portions of the project. They are listed above.