The Corner Store

Painted Advert for Omaha Coffee

This is an old painted advertising "poster" for Advo Coffee found in the basement of the old store. It is pretty much the only "history detective" kind of thing found in the building after I purchased it. It was nailed face up to the ceiling 2x12s along with other cardboard which "saved it" from being thrown out. However, it was almost lost to history when one evening I decided to rip down all the old cardboard. As I ripped away, the years of coal dust, which had been sitting on top of the cardboard, clouded the air in the basement. However, after the dust started to settle I notice a deep red under some of the remaining dust. Getting down from my ladder I brushed away more dust to discover writing. That lead to a mad dash out into the night and into the dumpster. I rescued all the pieces I could find. However, there was one piece I just couldn't find anywhere and given its' size of about an 1'x1' I gave up. This was back in Nov/Dec of 2006.

Here is a close up of the missing R after it was miraculously found in the basement in November 2007. I moved the R out of place so it would be easier to see. I was really shocked to find the remaining letter because I had looked for it many times and had given up hope. Over that past couple of year I have cleaned the basement several times. My sister helped out one day last fall by vacuuming up the entire basement with a shot vac after we had torn down a plaster wall upstairs. Some of the plaster made its way through the wall into the basement so a clean up was really needed. Just one month after the last basement clean up I was kneeling on the floor and smoothing out fresh cement I had just fixed around the basement floor drain. I reached back with the trowel, to set in down out of my way, and out of the corner of my eye I saw something red. On the floor, right next to me was the piece of wood with the gold R on it. Where had come from I had no idea but I was very glad to have it find me on many levels.

The next step is a visit to the Ford Conservation Center in Hanscom Park neighborhood to talk with the conservators their and find out when I can bring it in to be put back together and properly restored.

Mural From the Old Grocery Store

Photo of the mural that used to be in the store. It was not destroyed but has moved on. If you have any history of the mural please let me know.

Commercial Space from Interior

Here is the newly refinished store space at the end of Nov 2007, ready for a tenant to move in. The old carpet was removed and replaced. The hvac was replaced and the old overhead ductwork was taken down and replaced by ductwork in the basement. The overhead florescent tub lighting had some repairs and the "milk house" pan down lights were still in working order.

Here is the store space up until the fall of 2007. The last remaining shelf from the Mike's grocery store was still in the space. About 85% of the commercial tile floor had been covered over will duel color carpet squares and in the back of the space 15% was covered by a large carpet remnent. You can still see the square ductwork hanging from the center of the ceiling.

These are about all the photos I can show of the progression/transfromation of the store space. Unfortunately my camera was stole that I had been using to digitally document the transformation of the store space :(

2nd Floor Porch

There is a small space on the 2nd floor landing for a few chairs and a table to enjoy the summer breeze. Not to mention a little extra storage space.

516 Views from 2nd Story Porch

I have been spending a lot of weeks 2nd story back porch of the apartment lately, painting the ceiling, walls and floor. There are some pretty interesting views to take in at different time of the day. The photo above was of the sunset on April 21, not as colorful as the one the night before. Below is just a glance to the west and just south from the porch. Interesting varienty of shapes, colors and contours created by the old homes and rolling hills in this part of the neighborhood.

Apartment @ 516 N 40th St Update

Sorry to all you people still looking, the apartment in this building has been rented. Thanks for looking.

Views Inside

Although these pictures look very similar the top on is a photo looking from the Living room into the Dining room. The 2nd photo is looking from the Dining room into the Living room.

Finished Bath

With the tile being finished the plumbers came on the 20th and finished up with the toilet install and connected up the dishwasher. Plumbing tasks are now complete.

Washer & Dryer Installed

The washer and dryer are in. Gave them a test run washing some towels and rags I was using. Seem to work just fine.

One by One Tile is Down

Nice view of the kitchen floor tile. One more day for them to be grouted and after 12 hours to cure then the floor is finished.

Holidays Time is for Lights

Went and bought a new tripod for my digital camera so I could take night photos. Here are the first with the new tripod. A car drove by right as the shutter on the camera opened. Creates kind of a night lighting effect.Lights along the cornice of the facade of the building.

Bathroom Vanity & Details

The vanity area of the bathroom is also looking more finished today. Spent the day putting up towel bars and the mirror. Getting the tile work on the bathroom floor will allow the toilet fixture to be installed and that should finish out the bathroom. That should take place in two weeks fingers crossed.

Living Room view

Nice view of the living room. Getting closer to completing all the small details like blinds for the windows. Some great evening sunlight coming in through the south living room windows.

Electricians Finally Finished Up

The electricians finished up this week by installing all the light fixtures and wiring the exhaust vent on the hot water heater. This light below is in the kitchen and matches the single pendant above the sink. Kept more of a historic look for the lights in the kitchen to give it more character.

The dining room got a replacement ceiling fan. I really don't like ceiling fans but if it is a nice day out and the windows are open they are great at circulating air. However, this is the only one in the entire apartment and I think is a good compromise.

I put brushed nickel finished lights in the bedrooms. I do have a couple of antique glass ceiling light shades. Someday down the road I can order some very expensive mounts from Rejuvenations reproductions and put them up.

Finished Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are looking pretty nice with a new tile backsplash made of subway tile and a 1/2 x 6 color backed glass lestello tile for an accent. Now the wait for the installation of the new tile floor for the kitchen and bath is on.

518 1/2 becomes 516

I couldn't believe how easy it was to change an address. The upstairs apt had a 1/2 address number and you can not buy the 1/2 numbers for buildings any more. So I went down to the planning dept and the gal punched it into the computer and the change was finished. That seemed too simple.

Omaha By Design Place Game Design

Design results from the Joslyn Castle Neighborhod Place Game activity sponsored by Omaha By Design.

Bathroom pre Renovation

This is the original bathroom. We found the signature of the plumber R.E.McCarthy behind the sink that was hung from the wall. The bathroom is about 90% complete. Completion date is Thanksgiving weekend.

Dining Room Turned Into Temp Work Space

As is the case with any major construction project staging and storage space is needed. Since the kitchen and bathroom were undergoing major renovations and the back bedroom was filled with tools, the dining room became the next best space to use as a workshop. The first photo is the "before" the start of construction looking from the living room into the dining room.

Anyone in need of a claw foot tub?



Major mess

Water damaged bedrooms

Here are some snapshots of bedroom 2 and bedroom 3. The water damage was the worste in bedroom 2 and mostly confined to the ceiling in bedroom 3.

Bedroom 2 damage
Blue tape is the outline of future closet door

Paint & Cabinets

The cabinets are installed and now the painting begins in the kitchen. I took a picture of the cabinets but it came out too dark to post. Will have to try again later.

Of course paint is needed in the remodeled bathroom also. Lots of work yet to be done.

Post-Car Culture Podcast on New Urbanism

New Urbanist themed view of a redeveloped 40th & Cuming Street looking South

Time for my soap box! Those of you that know me KNEW this was coming. I am a huge believe in New Urbanism and am using those beliefs in guiding my development of the old Mike's Grocery. My New Urbanist brother and his wife (both architects) recently were interviewed by Post-Car Culture to talk about New Urbanism and designing for life without a car or with less use of a car. One theme of New Urbanism. Click here to download the Pod Cast One. The Pod cast is only about 10-15 minutes and is one of two. As soon as the 2nd one is available I will post it to.

Or click here to learn more about New Urbanism

New Urbanist styled concept for 33rd and California St created by the Destination Midtown process.

Storefront Concepts on Paper

A few conceptual drawings that were the inspiration for the new store front windows and a look for the front of the old Mike's Grocery Store. While the folding or other open window options seem every appealing I decided on fixed closed windows. Our humid summers and variety of bugs just didn't seem compatible with a food shop. I loved the idea because I have seen it used in many shops, bars and restaurants in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.

Kitchen cabinets design

Preview of what the kitchen cabinets might look like

Kitchen under construction

This is the earlies picture of the kicthen I can find. The next picture is the current state of destruction.

And of course the bath at the same point

New Storefront Windows

Interior before new windows. The north window was covered in plywood and the top row of windows were also boarded over on the front windows.

Interior After new windows

Exterior After

Discovery in the Kitchen

With every construction project comes discoveries. This one was the floor covering under one layer of carpet(ooooh gross) and another blue linoleum. The last was a geometric blue, red, gray & black squares on a patterned tan background. Very Cool! I wish we could buy this design today in vinyls. Have you shopped for vinyl flooring lately? I was thinking of this as entirely too "modern" for 1923 but after I thought about it some and looked through my Bungalow magazine, I got a picture in my minds eye of this flooring with gleaming new white enamel appliances and sink and the flooring suddenly seemed to fit the period.

The History

Building Permit: November 1922 (finished in 1923)
Building Type: Commercial flat with residential flat above
Building Cost: $8,500
Architect: F.C. Haver
Owner: Abraham Haykin
Abraham Haykin ran a grocery store at 2806 N. 26th Street before building this new store on 40th Street beginning in 1922. There are two other Haykin's who owned grocery stores in Omaha during the 1920's, and it is speculated that this was a family business. This building was built as a retail grocery on the ground floor with a residence on top. This mixed use of retail and residential was very popular until after World War II.
In 1930 Reed Ice Cream Company built a small ice cream "bungalow" next to the grocery story. (In later years, the ice cream stand was located one block north at 620 N. 40th Street.) The REed Ice Cream Company sold five cent ice cream cones in white "bungalows" at 63 locations in Omaha from the 1930s through the late 1950's. The company was organized in 1929 by Mr. Claude Reed and the plant was located at 3106 N 24th Street. The company sold ice cream in Omaha and Council Bluffs and, according to an Omaha World Herald article, sold as many as 22,000 cones a day.
After he closed the store in 1959, Mr. Reed is credited with inventing a machine that would pressure-whip ice cream or yogurt together with various flavorings. He patented this machine and called it Whirl-a-Whip. Tea Whirl-a-Whip gave birth to what we call Blizzards(C) today.

More October 2005 pictures