Do you know what April showers bring? A month’s worth of activities to celebrate the 2017 edition of Historic Preservation Month. Join Restoration Exchange for any or all of the events listed below and share them with your family, friends and colleagues.
Saturday, May 13
Historic Sioux City Tour
8:00am to 6:00pm
Cost: $50 (includes lunch)
Join Restoration Exchange as we travel by chartered bus to Sioux City where local preservationists and historians will take us on a private tour of some of the community’s best historic gems. Tour stops include the Orpheum Theatre, the Woodbury County Courthouse – regarded as one of the finest Prairie School buildings in the United States, the Grandview Band Shell and rose gardens, historic Jackson Street filled with homes built between 1880 and 1930, the $4 million redevelopment of the Linseed Oil Works factory and warehouse, and the 4th Street Historic District, a concentration of 14, late 19th Century commercial buildings. The bus will leave the Joslyn Castle parking lot at 3902 Davenport St. at 8 a.m. and arrive home at approximately 6 p.m. The cost is $50 and includes lunch and all admission fees. Space is limited! To register, contact us at info@restorationexchange.org or 402.679.5854.
Saturday, May 13
North 24th Street Walking Tour
11 a.m.
Cost: $10 or two for $15
This historic district that once housed Jewish groceries, meat markets and bakeries later gave way to African American businesses including theaters, restaurants, retail shops and music clubs. Experience the rich history of this street and explore the revitalization efforts happening today. Meet at Dreamland Park (one block south of 24th and Lake).
Thursday, May 18
Old Buildings, New Opportunities
Starting at 6 p.m.
Cost: $25 for Restoration Exchange and Nebraska Main Street members, $75 for everyone else
In partnership with the Nebraska Main Street Network, Restoration Exchange is offering a workshop on how to buy, finance and restore older buildings. The event is designed for individuals who want to purchase (or already own) a smaller, older building and for professionals that can help them bring it back to life. Speaker Andrea Kathol with Field Day Development and special guests will share their expertise on what to look for before you buy, how to create realistic budgets, financing options, determining the best use for a building, hiring professionals for the restoration process and finding tenants for your revitalized space. Watch it from your computer (you will get a link when you register) or come to Security National Bank, 1120 S. 101st Street, for the group experience. Sign up at NebraskaMainStreet.org.
Saturday, May 20
South 24th Street Tour
11:00am
Cost: $10 or two for $15
Experience the transformation of the South Omaha business district—from the “Magic City” of the 1880s to today’s melting pot of cultures. The National Register district combines history, art, architecture and unique shops to visit along the way. A new app provides more details about the district. Meet at the plaza at 24th and N Streets.
Wednesday, May 24
Omaha Gives!
24-Hour Giving Campaign
Help us protect historic properties. Donate $10 or more May 24 and build our fund to locally landmark historic properties in danger of meeting a wrecking ball in their future. Follow us on Facebook during Omaha Gives! as we highlight buildings and homes that need our help. Your donation at www.omahagives.org can make it happen!
May 24–31
“Citizen Jane: Battle for the City”
Film Streams
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
– Jane Jacobs
Take advantage of a special one-week engagement at Film Streams – in partnership with ONE Omaha – and view the newly released documentary inspired by the life, legacy and brilliance of activist and urban theorist Jane Jacobs. Movie times and tickets are available at www.filmstreams.org. Watch the preview here.