The Omaha RiverFront Revitalization Project aims to rejuvenate a 72-acre urban parkland area along the Missouri River. This initiative involved the transformation of three previously underused parks, namely Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America, and Lewis and Clark Landing, into new attractions for the local and regional community. By enhancing accessibility to the river and creating inviting outdoor spaces, the RiverFront Revitalization project will strengthen connections within the city. These three parks will not only offer improved access to downtown Omaha but also promote environmental sustainability and support economic growth.
The RiverFront’s realization was made possible through the generosity of the community. An exceptional public-private partnership played a crucial role in financing the $325 million project. The City of Omaha contributed $50 million, with the remaining funds coming from local philanthropists. This collaborative approach ensured the project’s prompt execution and represented a significant investment in the city’s future. While the City of Omaha owns The RiverFront, its private management falls under the responsibility of the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA). MECA oversees day-to-day operations, and maintenance at The RiverFront while providing supervision of park activities and security measures.
Bomanite Revealed Revamps Existing Walls and Stairs
The Main Contractor selected for the massive project was Kiewit Infrastructure Co. Bomanite Licensee Musselman & Hall Contractors worked with landscape architecture firm, OJB Landscape Architecture, to develop the basis of design and samples for assorted park hardscape finishes. Musselman & Hall was selected to install over 8,200 SF of Bomanite Revealed™ bonded overlay over existing walls and stairs. The process took significant planning and sampling to develop the appropriate installation methods and processes. Musselman & Hall also installed other cast-in-place walls with a Bomanite Sandscape® finish to match the revealed overlay. The challenging complexity for this project was the depth of difficulty. Dan Kroesen, Vice President of Musselman & Hall said, “This project challenged us to think and work creatively to build a project we take great pride in.”
In this project Musselman & Hall used Brass colored Bomanite Revealed™ in the appropriate dosage. They also utilized Bomanite Surface Deactivator. The depth of etch used was Standard Sand Etch. White Bomanite Revealed™ was used for the “white” overlay. Musselman & Hall created a cohesive look and feel to the many disparate locations throughout the overall project.
Architectural Exposed Concrete Creates Exceptional Results
Bomanite Revealed™ Systems, part of the Bomanite Exposed Aggregate Systems, offer an innovative approach to architectural exposed concrete. This decorative concrete solution features a captivating blend of decorative aggregates firmly bound by a unique binder, skillfully applied to primed concrete surfaces. To achieve this exceptional result, Bomanite Revealed™ relies on preblended binders, lightfast pigments, specialized admixtures, specialized topical treatments, and advanced application techniques that highlight the seeded aggregate.
Unlike typical surface-seeded installations, Bomanite Revealed™ ensures a 100% exposure of the decorative aggregate, with no native sands to distract from its finished appearance. The end product stands out as a distinctive alternative to other decorative concrete finishes, all while delivering a monolithic concrete surface with a low life cycle cost due to its pre-aged surface characteristics.
Bomanite Revealed™ is suited for exterior applications, where improved wear resistance against light to moderate-duty vehicular or foot traffic, along with an architectural finish, is essential. Thanks to the Bomanite Revealed binder, these surfaces offer outstanding durability and come in a wide range of standard and custom options. Additionally, cost-effective light-reflective formulations are available, eliminating the need for white cement to mitigate the heat island effect.
Award Winning Decorative Concrete
Musselman & Hall received the highly sought after 2022 GRAND AWARD for Best Bomanite Exposed Aggregate Systems Project. With more than a century of construction heritage, and an incomparable reputation in the decorative concrete sphere, it is not by chance that Musselman & Hall was chosen to bring to life the vision of all the stakeholders of this project. Their highly skilled concrete craftsmen created a series of outdoor spaces that are destined to be an integral and valuable asset to life in Omaha for many years into the future.
