A downtown development is set to change Lincoln’s skyline in a dramatic way.
When the Lied Place Residences open at 11th and Q streets in early 2021, the 21-story development will be the second tallest building in the city, behind only the Nebraska State Capitol.
The $30 million building will have a restaurant space on the first floor, five stories of office space and 15 stories of residences, according to Tam Allan, Lied Place developer and co-owner. He said the residential units are intended to be permanent residences rather than rentals.
“There’s very few residential condominiums in downtown Lincoln,” he said. “They’re mostly rentals, and, actually, other than students, not that many people live in downtown, so this was to be built as a really high quality residence … Lincoln doesn’t have that.”
From the top floor, residents will be able to see an unobstructed view of downtown Lincoln and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus, according to the Lied Place’s website, which has a video of the view from the top of the building.
The construction site, tucked in between the Que Place parking garage and Q Street, seems inconspicuous now, but the building’s foundation, which reaches down more than 90 feet into the bedrock, will be completed by Nov. 1, according to Allan.
After that, Q Street will be shut down between 11th and 12th streets from Nov. 4 until Nov. 15 while a 270-foot tower crane is constructed, according to Chad Wiles, vice president of Hausmann Construction.
According to Allan, the entire building is scheduled to be completed by spring 2021, but the tower’s structure will be completed in only 10 months.
Lied Place has a 5,200-square-foot floor plate, which is small for a building of its height, Allan said. Both Allan and Wiles said the building’s small construction site creates several challenges.
“Obviously, we have no room for laying down materials and other things,” Wiles said. “So you got to bring in materials on time, just a real-time delivery.”
Without an alley behind the building, all construction must be done from the front, which Allan said has been especially difficult with traffic from the Lied Center for Performing Arts’ “Phantom of the Opera” production and Nebraska home football games.
Wiles said constructing the skyscraper has had a big impact on Hausmann Construction’s reputation.
“It means a lot for us to … change the skyline, truly,” he said. “I think a lot of people say that, but this building is truly going to change Lincoln’s skyline and be the second tallest building in Lincoln. It’s something not a lot of companies can say they’ve done.”
Wiles also said Hausmann Construction would love to take UNL students for tours as the building is constructed.
Allan said having such a big mark on the city is a big responsibility for him and his development team.
“We’re making a lot of improvements to the whole block face,” he said. “I think people will be pleased as far as what we come up with, but … it’s a great responsibility to do it right and build a quality project.”