Conference
Conference Resources
Restore Omaha Recommended Book List [PDF]
From Rags to Riches - The Restoration of a Grand Victorian
Tim Reeder, NP Dodge Real Estate
Join Tim as he takes us on the journey of how he restored his Victorian home back to its original grandeur: from a condemned building to a neighborhood showpiece and all the stories in-between.
The Restoration of a Grand Victorian photos [PDF]
Downtown Revitalization, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation
Donovan D. Rypkema, PlaceEconomics
Join Donovan, a nationally renowned economist, as he presents ways to build a sustainable future through historic preservation. Donovan specializes in the revitalization of business districts, community development and the economics of restoring historic properties.
- Keynote Presentation: Historic Preservation and Sustainability [PDF]
- Donovan's website PlaceEconomics.com
- Donovan's Blog
- Preservation at Work for the Nebraska Economy [PDF]
- Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation in Nebraska [PDF]
Restore Omaha Conference Uncovers Jewels
[via Neighborhood News ]

You don’t have to be batty about bungalows or crazy for colonials to check out the Restore Omaha Conference planned for Friday, Mar. 5 and Saturday, Mar. 6 at the Metro Community College South Omaha Campus.
Those interested in the practice and techniques of restoration will be squarely in their element at the annual event, but the gathering also offers a host of related opportunities for others drawn to such diverse topics as planting Victorian gardens or the subterranean history of Omaha’s rumrunners.
2010 Restore Omaha Conference
Restore Omaha is a conference to promote the practice of historic restoration and to provide educational opportunities and information to the public and professionals.
Conference sessions followed by the AIA logo
are eligible for AIA continuing education credits.
Download Conference Schedule [PDF]
Campus Map [PDF]
Opening Reception
Friday, March 5, 7 – 10 pm
Lucile’s Old Market, 510 South 10th St.
Sneak Peak from 7-8pm of
Frank’s Pieces of the Past, 814 South 14th St.
Reception sponsored by B.G. Peterson Co.
Lucile Schaaf deemed the "Orange Lady" was an Omaha Icon. She started salvaging pieces from old buildings in the 1960's and left a legacy in her historic Old Market home. Frank Horejsi, an architectural salvager since the 1980's has the most remarkable salvage collection in Omaha. You do not want to miss this experience when Frank opens his warehouse to Restore Omaha.
Conference Schedule
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Metropolitan Community College
South Omaha Campus - Industrial Training Center
27th and Q St.
8 am – 9 am Registration
SOC, Industrial Training Center Lobby
8 am – 3 pm Exhibitor Area Opens
9:00 – 9:30 am Opening Session
From Rags to Riches - The Restoration of a Grand Victorian
Tim Reeder, NP Dodge Real Estate
Join Tim as he takes us on the journey of how he restored his Victorian home back to its original grandeur: from a condemned building to a neighborhood showpiece and all the stories in-between.
9:45 – 10:45 am Breakout Sessions
Stained Glass Restoration
Valerie Batt, Painted Light Stained Glass
Valerie discusses the challenges of maintaining stained glass, repairs the homeowner can do themselves, and when it’s time for outside help.
Restoration of a Commercial Building
David Lawrence, Craftsman, Lawrence Painting
David shares his challenging adventures of discovering, purchasing, and restoring a collection of commercial buildings that are now helping to revitalize a small Iowa community.
Victorian Gardens with Native Plants
Addy Kinghorn, MCC Horticulture Faculty
Addy examines the characteristics of the Victorian period garden and suggests local plants that will flourish in an Omaha Victorian landscapes.
How to Write a National Register Nomination
Jesse Nunn, Nebraska Historic Preservation Office
Can my property be listed on the National Register of Historic Places? Jesse walks through the steps of how a property owner can list their building on the local or national register of historic places. She will also answer questions regarding your own specific property.
Glued, Screwed, and Exhausted: Do’s and Don’ts on Preservation Projects
Cindy Tooker, AIA, LEED AP, Leo A Daly Company
Do you have a preservation project and don’t know where to begin? Join Cindy, a preservation architect and home restorer, for helpful hints for planning your own preservation projects.
Window Re-glazing and Wood Consolidation
Don Browers, The Old House Mechanic and Tim Christianson, Craftsman
Join Don as he explains the process of re-glazing windows and Tim as he walks through the simple steps of wood consolidation.
10:45 – 11:15 am Break
11:15 am – 1:00 pm Lunch & Keynote Speaker
Downtown Revitalization, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation
Donovan D. Rypkema, PlaceEconomics
Join Donovan, a nationally renowned economist, as he presents ways to build a sustainable future through historic preservation. Donovan specializes in the revitalization of business districts, community development and the economics of restoring historic properties.
Keynote speaker sponsored through the generous support of AIA Omaha.
1:15 – 2:15 pm Breakout Sessions
Heritage Nebraska Main Street Communities
Elizabeth Chase, Director, HNMSP
Join Elizabeth as she shares preservation success stories occurring along many of Nebraska’s Main Streets. Learn about Main Street’s preservation-based strategy for rebuilding places and strengthening businesses for sustainable, vibrant, and unique communities.
Selecting, Bidding, and Hiring a Contractor
Jared Gerber, AIA, Gerber Architecture
Remodeling your master bathroom? Finishing your basement? Learn from a residential architect how to work with contractors throughout your remodeling project.
Paint Restoration on a Victorian Home
David Lawrence, Craftsman, Lawrence Painting
David discusses the causes of deterioration, methods for repair of exterior wood, and the best ways to preserve and restore painted wood exterior elements on a grand Victorian home.
Nebraska Historic Preservation Tax Credits
Grant Landreth, Nebraska Historical Preservation Office
Is there any way I can get money to help restore my historic home or business? What is the VIP program? Are there federal tax incentives? Join staff from the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office to learn ways to help make it easier for you to afford to restore a historic property.
History of Omaha’s Historic Apartment Buildings
Jennifer Honebrink, AIA, LEED AP, Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture
Join Jennifer as she talks about the colorful history of tenements, flats, and apartment buildings in Omaha and shares the wide variety of rental housing in Omaha through the years.
Hands-on Plaster Repair
Dick Grace, Grace Plastering Inc
Join Dick Grace in a hands-on demonstration of methods to repair historic plasterwork. Grace shows how to salvage loose and cracked plaster and how to prepare plaster walls for painting.
2:15 – 2:30 pm Break
2:30 – 3:30 pm Breakout Sessions
2:30 – 3:30 pm Breakout Sessions
2009 Joslyn Castle Trust Designer Show House
Brandeis Mansion Restoration Team
Join the Construction Team as they chronicle the glorious restoration of the Brandeis Mansion for the 2009 Joslyn Castle Trust Designer Showhouse.
The Economic Power of Restoration
Donovan D. Rypkema, PlaceEconomics
Join Donovan as he looks at the multitude of values of historic properties, ranging from aesthetic and cultural to political and environmental, and their long term affects on the economic power of historic preservation.
Omaha’s Electrical Code
Terry Scholl, Retired Electrical Inspector
Join Terry a former city electrical inspector as he gives us a reprise of his highest attended Restore Omaha session from 2005 on the electrical code and historic houses. It’s electrifying!
Boot Legging and Omaha
Louie Marcuzzo, Owner of Louie M’s (Burger Lust)
Was your house used as a hideaway during prohibition? Is there a mysterious brick tunnel running under your basement floor? Join Louie for a spirited look back at Omaha’s “Rum Running” history.
Double Hung Windows: Repairing Weights
Don Browers, The Old House Mechanic
Do you have broken window weights in double hung windows? Are your windows jammed closed? Do you have to prop them open? Don demonstrates the
materials, tools, and methods used to repair broken window weights safely.
Hands-on Stucco Repair
Dick Grace, Grace Plastering Inc
Dick Grace demonstrates the repair of stucco on the exterior of older properties.
3:30–4:00 pm Restoration JAM! and Closing Reception
Join conference participants, experts and speakers to share restoration projects and solutions at the Restoration JAM! and Closing Reception. If you have a project you would like to share go to www.restoreomaha.com.
2010 Conference Sponsors
- AIA Omaha
- B.G. Peterson Co.
- City of Omaha Planning Department
- Cynthia Tooker, AIA LEED AP
- Dundee Bank
- Frank's Pieces of the Past
- Heritage Nebraska Main Streets
- Lucile's Old Market
- Marvin Windows
- Midtown Business Association
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Nebraska State Historical Society
- Omaha by Design
- Omaha Main Streets
- RBC Tile and Stone
- Robert Peters Company
- The Architectural Offices
- The Pizza Shoppe
- The Reader
- Upstream Brewing Company
2010 Conference Exhibitors
- ABC Roofs
- Accurate Floors, Inc.
- Bemis Park Neighborhood Association
- City of Omaha CSO Project
- City of Omaha Planning Department
- City Sprouts
- Douglas County Historical Society
- Gifford Park Neighborhood Association
- Green Omaha Coalition
- Habitat Restore
- Hanscom Park Neighborhood Association
- Heritage Nebraska/Main Street
- Joslyn Castle Trust
- Landmarks Inc.
- Lawrence Paint Company
- Life Home Services
- Energy Auditor
- Ludowici Clay Roof Tile
- Marvin Windows
- Midtown Neighborhood Alliance
- Millard Lumber
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Orchard Hill Neighborhood Association
- Rebuilding Together
- Rybin Plumbing
- Spencerworks
- Stained Glass Restoration
- Thrasher Basement Systems, Inc.
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- USGBC NE Flatwater Chapter
Donovan Rypkema to be 2010 Conference Keynote Speaker
Restore Omaha is pleased to announce the keynote speaker for its 5th annual Restore Omaha Conference, March 5-6, 2010, will be Donovan Rypkema, an industry leader in the economics of downtown and neighborhood commercial revitalization and reuse. The annual Conference provides information and resources to help property owners and others revitalize their residences, commercial properties, and neighborhood districts.
Donovan Rypkema, principal of Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm PlaceEconomics, specializes in services to public and non-profit sector clients who are dealing with downtown and neighborhood commercial district revitalization and the reuse of historic structures.
Restore Omaha in the News
The Restore Omaha conference was featured on the front page of the business section in Tuesday's Omaha World Herald. John Prouty has generously hosted the opening reception at his building in South Omaha.
Read the full article 'This is a Hoppin' Area:' Brothers moved business from downtown to south O.
The Premier Arts & Crafts Home in America: Perspectives from the Gamble House Conservation


Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, AIA, Kelly Sutherlin McLeod Architecture
2008 Conference & Exhibition
Opening Reception
Friday, February 29
Prouty Place Dos 4825 S. 25th St.
Come enjoy a sneak peak of the remodeling of a multi-use residential / commercial facility in the heart of South Omaha while meeting with our exhibitors and speakers.
Reception sponsored by B. G. Peterson Co. and Wells Fargo.
Restore Omaha Conference
Saturday, March 1
Metropolitan Community College
South Omaha Campus
27th & Q Streets
8:00–9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00–10:00 a.m. Keynote address
"Protecting America’s Historic Neighborhoods"
Jim Lindberg
How are America’s communities protecting and preserving historic neighborhoods? Join Jim Lindberg as he shares his perspective on how Omaha fits into the national preservation scene. Jim is the Director of Preservation Initiatives at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
10:00 a.m.–4:15 p.m. Exhibit areas and bookstore open
10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Breakout sessions, demonstrations and Ask an Expert
Conference attendees share their own restoration projects at the open mike JAM! session and closing reception.
South Omaha Neighborhood Tours
Sunday, March 2
Tours of historic structures in South Omaha arranged by Landmarks, Inc.
Download Conference Schedule [PDF]
Conference Exhibitors
- Accurate Floors
- AIA Omaha
- A.J. Moellenbeck Builders / Lancaster Conservatories
- Bemis Park Neighborhood Association
- Building Restoration Corporation
- CBSHome Real Estate
- City of Omaha Planning Department
- City Sprouts and Orchard Hill Neighborhood Association
- City Weekly
- Dundee Memorial Park Neighborhood Association
- Friends of Joslyn Castle
- Gifford Park Neighborhood Association
- Habitat for Humanity / Omaha ReStore
- Hanscom Park Neighborhood Association
- Harman Appliance Sales Inc.
- Landmarks, Inc.
- Marvin Windows and Doors / Chicago Lumber Company
- Metropolitan Community College
- Miller Park and Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Nebraska State Historical Society
- Neighborhood Center of Greater Omaha
- Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance
- Omaha Public Power District
- Rybin Plumbing & Heating Co.
- South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance
- The Bookworm
- Todd Rose Decorative Concrete
- University of Nebraska Omaha
- Flatwater Chapter, U.S. Green Building Council and Green Omaha
- Wells Fargo
- B.G. Peterson Co.
- Critter Control of Omaha
- Destination Midtown
- First National Bank of Omaha
- Gavin Historical Bricks
- J. Robert Perrin Architect
- Nebraska Concrete Masonry Association
- Omaha Main Streets
Restore Omaha Conference Donors *
*Exhibitors and donors committed as of January 1
Donations
Restore Omaha is a grassroots effort. Your extra donation to help defray the conference cost and offer ongoing workshops throughout the year is greatly appreciated.
2009 Restore Omaha Conference
New this year: Restore Omaha Vendor Directory.
There are many vendors and resources that owners of older properties look to for assistance with their restoration and preservation projects. This directory will provide a resource to property owners long after the Conference and will be available in print and online throughout the year. Interested in being a part of the Vendor Diretory? Call 402-457-2241 for more information.
Opening Reception
Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 – 10:00 pm
Prouty Place Dos, 4825 S. 25th St.
Last year, exhibitors, presenters, participants and friends of Restore Omaha enjoyed an evening previewing the beginning phase of Prouty Place Dos. This year, the project is complete! Come and enjoy a preview of a remodeled multi-use residential/commercial facility in the heart of South Omaha.
Reception sponsored by B.G. Peterson Co.
Conference & Exhibition
Saturday, Feb. 28, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Metropolitan Community College (MCC)
South Omaha Campus (SOC)
27th and Q Sts.
Download Conference Schedule [PDF]
Campus Map [PDF]
