The Peter Kiewit Institute

Team Leader
Mr.Robinson

Mentors
Brian Wieseler, Leo A. Daly
Larry Carlson, HDR, Inc.

Project: The Kanesville Galaxy

Our project is about turning a vacant building or open lot in Council Bluffs(Kanesville) into a futuristic and fun recreation center. This will give a place for teens and kids to gather instead of on the streets. We plan to put modern, video and arcade games in the center. There will also be interactive games utilizing emerging technologies such as virtual reality, a mag-lev skatepark, and magnetic bumper/go-carts. This will be a green building, and also clean and safe to the surrounding environment.

   

Team Leader
Joanne Sandage

Mentors
Keith Stork, Henningsen Construction
Jeff Mauk, Plastics Professional

Project: Air Atlantic: Powering the Future

Renewable energy sources are becoming more important as non-renewable energy prices climb and government policies start to favor "green" energy. To do our part in this push for clean energy, we are designing a wind farm to be placed in Atlantic. The energy produced will be used primarily by the school district. Any excess energy produced will be sold to Atlantic Municipal Untilities to cover maintenance and other energy costs and any further profit will go towards the community.

   

Team Leader
Nicole Menard

Mentors
Al Tarrell, STRATCOM
Linda Robertson, STRATCOM

Project: Feed the Need

In the Bellevue area, over 3,800 families in need of food have turned to the Bellevue Food Pantry. Because the Bellevue Food Pantry operates on limited volunteers and funding, improved efficiency would increase the productivity of this organization. To help advance this cause, we plan to evaluate the current facilities, examine their supply and demand of food and monetary funds, maximize the effectiveness of the volunteer staff, and improve awareness of the services they provide.

 

Team Leader
Dee Hoge

Mentors
Wally Stern, Retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mike McLennan, BCDM Architecture

Project: New Bennington Elementary School

Our project is to design a new elementary school for our growing school district. This school will accommodate 450-500 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6th Grade. There is a great need for more educational facilities in our community due to the rapid development of the land to the south of the City of Bennington.

   

Team Leader
Mr. Steve Hamersky

Mentors
John Leahy, USAF 55th CE Squadron
Scott Gatewood, DLR Group

Project: Parish Office Complex, St. Columbkille

Offices are a vital component in the everyday operation of a parish. At St. Columbkille Parish in Papillion, Nebraska, the offices are currently located in an aging renovated house. A new office complex would provide more efficient operation, space for new functions, and a more spiritually enhanced environment.

   

Team Leader
Dr. Robert Wolff
Mrs. Natasha Oakman

Mentors
Mike Conzett, HDR, Inc.
Kelley Rosburg, Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects

Project: Handicapped Accessible Playground & Park for Omaha

There is a need in Omaha for a barrier-free public area created to accommodate disabled residents. The park and playground area will be designed for all ages so that people will be able to exercise, enjoy nature and interact in a relaxing atmosphere.

   

Team Leader
Terry Tavener

Mentors
Gary Sasse, JEO Consulting Firm
Eldon Plettner, NPPD

Project: Delelop a comprehensive fire protection plan for Lourdes Central Catholic High School

Prompt fire detection is critical to any facility. Studies have demonstrated that automatic sprinkler protection is one of the most practical and reliable means of controlling a fire. Sprinkler protection minimizes not only fire damage, but also water and smoke damage, and allows for quick resumption of school. Lourdes Central Catholic High School does not have an automatic fire sprinkler system. This project will generate an up-to-date pre-fire plan for Lourdes Central Catholic High School. Activities include: •Contacting the local fire department for assistance in developing the plan •Research how automatic sprinkler systems are designed and operated •Evaluate existing detection systems for proper application and location •Identify and document any special hazards, such as flammable and combustible liquids, and toxic materials •Survey the school staff to determine readiness to respond to fire emergencies •Conduct gas leak tests in chemistry lab •Conduct infrared testing of school electrical equipment

   

Team Leader
Kathi Smith

Mentors
Anne Peterson, HDR, Inc.
Amanda Bogner, Leo A. Daly

Project: Downtown Restoration

The Old Market is a major historic district in Omaha. However many of the buildings in the Old Market are built insufficently for todays standards. These buildings are not serving any effective purpose for the downtown population. Our team plans to restore the Gahm-Block building in order to fulfill a specific need (a grocery store with a pharmacy) for the downtown community.

   

Team Leader
Rick Baker

Mentors
Dan Pridal, US Army Corps of Engineers
Craig Osborn, HDR, Inc.
Henry Rohwer, Sodexho

Project: West Omaha Music Center

Since the Ranch Bowl site was taken over by Walmart, young people in Omaha have lost one major entertainment facility. Small size concerts are now forced to go to Sokol auditorium or some smaller venues that lack adequate space, acoustics, and equipment. Furthermore, most venues are within the downtown area, making it inconvenient access by the outer districts of the greater Omaha area. Being part of the population that is impacted most by the removal of the Ranch Bowl, as well as living in the Millard District, our team this year has decided to design a replacement concert venue at a more convenient location. In addition to hosting concerts, this venue will also have rehearsing spaces and classrooms available for individual usage.

     

Team Leader
Mrs. Theis

Mentors
Mr. Butler, HDR, Inc.
Mr. Ciaccio, BCDM Architecture

Project: Journey's End Recreational Trail and Welcome Center

Located on the bluff overlooking the Elkhorn River Valley, the Mount Michael Campus has been a hidden part of the Elkhorn/Omaha community for almost 50 years. We plan to design a recreational trail and welcome center that will expose the natural beauty of our community.

   

Team Leader
Mrs. Marilynn Theis

Mentors
Mr. Frederick Cady, Fred Cady Engineering
Mr. Mark Montz, Hewlett Packard

Project: Mount Michael Senior Residential Hall

Through out the past fifty years the Mount Michael monks have provided a college preparatory boarding school overlooking the Elkhorn River Valley. Since the beginning, all recidence halls and classes have been contained in one building. However, due to recent and rapid growth of the student body, expansion of the current living quarters is needed. To help solve this problem we are designing a seperate structure that will function as a residence hall for our senior class.

   

Team Leader
cherie barg

Mentors
jody ruckman, US Army Corps of Engineers
michael prososki, Union Pacific

Project: HANSCOM PARK - A GREAT PLACE IN THE CITY

Hanscom Park is a beautiful park in the heart of Omaha. We believe that the park is under used and lacking recreation options for teens, seniors and families. Our plan is to improve the east part of the park making improvements that will increase safety and provide more recreational activities. Improvemts will include improving existing features and adding features to make the park area more inviting and an interesting destination for all age ranges. Features would enhance the the nationally reconized Gerald R. Ford bithplace and maintain turn of the century architectual style of the neighborhood surrounding the park.

   

Team Leader
Lee Kallstrom

Mentors
Kory Kyllo, Kiewit Construction
John Armknecht, Stanely J. Howe
Philip C. Deakin, Environcon

Project: Discovery Lane: Destination Fun

     

Team Leader
Dr. Lee Kallstrom

Mentors
Joe Hazel, Farris Engineering
Toby Samuelson, Farris Engineering

Project: Feeding the Future

We came together with the idea of renovating our cafeteria to bring it up to date, and make the environment of the cafeteria part of the 21st century. We plan to make it more efficient for the kitchen crew and as well for the students.

 

Team Leader
Lynn Weaver

Mentors
Johnette Shockley, US Army Corps of Engineers
Lt. Rebecca Gates, Unit 625 Missile Operations Flight

Project: Green Light District (Using Actuated, Adaptive Traffic Control with RTLS technology)

With new commercial development slated in Papillion, proposed increased traffic may become a major problem for many nearby residents. We propose an adaptive, actuated traffic control system using RTLS technology to maximize the efficiency of traffic flow on 72nd Street from Giles Road to Highway 370.

   

Team Leader
Peg Alexander
Carol Hollenbeck
Steve Williams

Mentors
Vivian Pappel, HDR, Inc.
Katie Neddenriep, Olsson Associates Consulting Group

Project: La Vista-Papillion Teen Recreation Center

We want to steer middle school students away from drug usage and other unlawful acts. Our focus is to provide a safe place, while meeting the needs of students age twelve to age sixteen. This teen center will offer afforable physical activities, games, healthy refreshment bar, and a homework assistance area. It will be a place where younger teems from La Vista and Papillion can come together for positive purposes and beneficial pastimes. After school hours are a critical time of day for this age group. Our teen center will be a choice for kids and a solution for many problems.

   

Team Leader
Jeremy Scheffler
Jeff Devries

Mentors
Cindy Veys, NE Dept. of Roads
Carter Hubbard, Olsson Associates Consulting Group
Dale Vagts, NE Dept. of Roads

Project: Feasibility study for the use of Clark Jeary property to enhance Pius X facilities

Pius X High School in Lincoln, Nebraska requires additional parking to accomodate its growing student and faculty population. In addition, Pius must expand its facilities to fulfill the needs of its advancing curriculum. We will research the best uses of the newly aquired Clark Jeary property by polling the students and faculty as well as looking into the feasibility of the most logical ideas.

   

Team Leader
Bill Howard
Kevin Kleinsasser

Mentors
Ryan Huff, HWS Consulting Group
Drew Reiner, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Project: Transit Needs Project for Omaha

As with many cities, Omaha’s growing population and suburbanization trends create the possibility of traffic congestion. In addition, the cost of energy and dependence on foreign oil are beginning to pose a major economic problem to travelers. One way to combat these problems is to investigate alternative transportation systems for feasibility and economic viability. In response, our project will explore ways to improve and/or expand Omaha’s public transit system.

   

Team Leader
Al Hudek

Mentors
John Jorgensen, HGM Associates Inc.
Kim Conine, HGM Associates Inc.

Project: Jefferson Square Development Project

The Thomas Jefferson Engineering Team plans to renovate the Old Nonpareil Building. The building is located across from Bayliss Park. The plan is to redevelop the building into a deli or similar restaurant-type business on the ground floor. We also plan to rebuild the second floor into four apartments or condominiums. The basement is intended to be altered into a living enhancement area for the residents of the second-floor apartments. We plan to tear down the newer addition that is present and turn it into a parking lot for the business and some landscaping. We also would like to turn the newer basement into underground parking for the residents of the building. By building a restaurant/apartment building, we hope to attract families visiting Bayliss Park and the surrounding areas.

 

Team Leader
Gregg Ratliff

Mentors
Chris Cain, 3DS2, Inc.
Luke Steinhauser, STRATCOM

Project: Students with special needs program

There is a need for programs and services that benefit students with special needs outside of the school environment. Our goal is to create an environment whereby the educational, recreational and social services are provided.

   

Team Leader
Zimmerman

Mentors
Vanessa Vap, DLR Group
Donna Kohlan, Farris Engineering

Project: Platte River Outdoor Adventures

Near Omaha is a theme park known as Adventure Land, which includes a large portion of its facility for games, whether videogames or sideshow type games. As for other recreation places within Omaha, many are videogame arcades. While some of these also include things like Go-Karts or Paintball, more outdoor or non-technology things, our group is looking to create an almost completely non-technology recreation complex. This recreation complex will be outdoors themed. It will include indoor facilities with rock climbing and other sports, a Paintball field, Go-Kart Track, an indoor skydiving vertical tunnel, off-road bike trail, and even surfing by way of a kind of wave machine. But the main attraction as of now is the man-made river rafting, basically consisting of a canal with some kind of block underneath the water to create turbulence. This recreation complex, Platte River Outdoor Adventures, will create various jobs and could even help bring in tourism to the city of Omaha.

   

Team Leader
Chad Zimmerman

Mentors
Steve Ernst, US Army Corps of Engineers
Mike Hromanik, Leo A. Daly

Project: Downtown New Market Redevelopment Project

The Omaha Downtown area is rapidly growing due to the number of people moving into the loft areas. There are few places for the residents to shop that are close by. We plan to redevelop a building in the downtown area that will become a destination for all visitors, residents, and workers of the downtown area. The services provided by this center will include a grocery store, movie theatre, and a gas station, as well as other small businesses.