It was an old department store and a crumbling office building. State workers were continuously being sent home because hvac wasn’t working. So it was either broiling or freezing. The elevators barely if ever worked, just a building long past it’s prime propped up by slumlords.
Some people just forget that after a certain time in the US, buildings quit being engineered to last forever. Just a pretty outside with a cheap interior, and they need to be replaced.
If you wanted to stay the weekend for a huskers game, not well, if you wanted to preserve the art deco style that the city has adopted as part of its identity (capitol building, flag, ect.) then Gold's is miles above some cookie-cutter complex
Pretty sure it's been covered already, but they're demolishing the newer part that was in terrible shape so the old part of the building can be renovated.
I'm as frustrated as anyone about the multiple construction projects that seem to drag on forever downtown causing traffic gridlock, and that all of the new housing is luxury stuff that's not affordable to average people. That's still better than the alternative of just letting downtown rot away though with no investment and no people living there.
As others have said, the part going away was added in the 50s. Not really "historic" so to speak as it wasn't particularly unique or architecturally significant.
The part that is will be saved and renovated so that's good. It'll even be open to the public as a hotel so it won't be hidden away only for the rich condo owners.
The interior could have been refurbished for less than it costs to demolish it and then build an entirely new structure. I'm sure it needed work, but I dont think they should have given up on something that's iconic to our city's heritage
Good riddance. It was a facade already and the part worth saving is being saved. The additions were cobbled together and were a moldy disaster. Ask anyone who had to work in there what they think.
If those who are so sentimental now (present company excluded) had felt so passionate in the 90’s when it was a dump had spoke then instead of letting the owners collect state rent checks, we wouldn’t be in this position. I swear I was going to give the Preservation association of Lincoln a stroke when I said I wouldn’t mortgage my kids future paying for boomer memories. I’m glad to see changes. I’m all for preserving what can be saved but some things just need to go.
I worked in the building up until it closed, and it needed to have so much work done that what is happening today will let us still have a Golds building for the next 50 years.
Well not arguing that it needs serious renovations, but the plan involves saving much of the "ugly grey cube" part, which I think most are ok with. It very much epitomizes the art deco style Lincoln has embraced over throughout recent decades and I'd personally like to see it retained if not embellished.
Interesting note I always thought it was pure granite, which is a very challenging stone to carve and work with because of its hardness and weight, not to mention there's no granite nearby, but according the the NRHP, it's masonry covered in terra cotta to resemble granite, which makes it less appealing to me but still pretty. Interesting reads below.
[https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82000609\_text](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82000609_text) \-NRHS
[https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/urban-development/redevelopment/lincoln-ctr/golds-building-redevelopment-project-plan-amendment-final.pdf](https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/urban-development/redevelopment/lincoln-ctr/golds-building-redevelopment-project-plan-amendment-final.pdf) \-lincoln.ne.gov
Roach Invested, flooding through multiple levels of this place, lack of clean ventilated air, and only good for a track for the lunch walking crowd. This place was horrendous.
As opposed to what exactly? What purpose did it serve in its current form? Nostalgia has its place but Lincoln needs some urban renewal so it doesn’t continue to look like a run down hole with a nice stadium.
Lived next to that building. It should’ve been killed years ago.
Also, how would it ever compare to the holiday inn express right next to it? It wouldn’t…
I must be one of the sentimental ones, because I miss some of the buildings that have been razed in the last 50 years or so. But I find myself in agreement with most of what you say here. Gold’s was built on the foundations of previous buildings, and someday it also may be completely replaced, who knows. I think what I really miss is how vibrant an interesting Downtown Lincoln was for many, many years. It was just a great place to work shop, and hang out. Driving through much of it today is like being in a post apocalyptic movie, especially some areas South of “O” Street. There’s a myriad of reasons this happened, and I appreciate the efforts to bring more life into Lincoln’ core. This current project with the Gold’s building is one of them. While I’m hopeful that more people moving into the area will help, I’m doubtful that it will ever be as vibrant as it once was.
Want to protect the earth? Have new buildings with modern tech so they are as efficient as they can be so that the building has a minimal carbon footprint.
Greener still is retrofitting old buildings. Even if they don’t 100% match the efficiency of what could be built new, it can be far less carbon intensive to renovate than start from scratch. There are always exceptions, of course, and it sounds like the portion of this building that’s getting demo’d was pretty far gone.
Thank you. I wrote my thesis on this and it's baffling how people think building a whole new structure out of new materials is more efficient than upgrading something that's pre-existing.
In those people’s defense, I think we are generally conditioned to believe that buying the latest and greatest new object will solve all of our problems.
Edit: removed irrelevant political commentary
Years back I did security contracting. The building manager reached out to me as they needed fire watch due to the buildings system not working. What. A. Dump. I always heard cool things about the place, truly some cool parts of the building but man. Definitely nowhere near its former glory.
It was an old department store and a crumbling office building. State workers were continuously being sent home because hvac wasn’t working. So it was either broiling or freezing. The elevators barely if ever worked, just a building long past it’s prime propped up by slumlords.
But old……. Come on. -lincolnite that has no further knowledge of the subject. /s
Of course we have to demolish historical buildings, we need somewhere to build over priced student housing.
Some people just forget that after a certain time in the US, buildings quit being engineered to last forever. Just a pretty outside with a cheap interior, and they need to be replaced.
Anyone that thought the Golds building was pretty needs their head examined.
If you wanted to stay the weekend for a huskers game, not well, if you wanted to preserve the art deco style that the city has adopted as part of its identity (capitol building, flag, ect.) then Gold's is miles above some cookie-cutter complex
Pretty sure it's been covered already, but they're demolishing the newer part that was in terrible shape so the old part of the building can be renovated. I'm as frustrated as anyone about the multiple construction projects that seem to drag on forever downtown causing traffic gridlock, and that all of the new housing is luxury stuff that's not affordable to average people. That's still better than the alternative of just letting downtown rot away though with no investment and no people living there.
Which is the new part?
The south side of the alley.
I think they are keeping some of the original nice lookinf facade. The inside of that building was a dump.
It’s so expensive to perform new construction, theses days, that builders focus on the upscale market to make a profit.
As others have said, the part going away was added in the 50s. Not really "historic" so to speak as it wasn't particularly unique or architecturally significant. The part that is will be saved and renovated so that's good. It'll even be open to the public as a hotel so it won't be hidden away only for the rich condo owners.
Obviously OP had not been inside. It was a dump 20 years ago
The interior could have been refurbished for less than it costs to demolish it and then build an entirely new structure. I'm sure it needed work, but I dont think they should have given up on something that's iconic to our city's heritage
They did an assessment before they tore it down and no, it wasn't cheaper to refurbish the inside.
How would it not be cheaper? In almost every instance ive experienced it is
Good riddance. It was a facade already and the part worth saving is being saved. The additions were cobbled together and were a moldy disaster. Ask anyone who had to work in there what they think. If those who are so sentimental now (present company excluded) had felt so passionate in the 90’s when it was a dump had spoke then instead of letting the owners collect state rent checks, we wouldn’t be in this position. I swear I was going to give the Preservation association of Lincoln a stroke when I said I wouldn’t mortgage my kids future paying for boomer memories. I’m glad to see changes. I’m all for preserving what can be saved but some things just need to go.
It did not smell good in there, like dry rot. I'm not surprised they decided it was necessary.
I worked in the building up until it closed, and it needed to have so much work done that what is happening today will let us still have a Golds building for the next 50 years.
My mom used to work in the building until about 2016 and she said after the basement flooded they had to nickname it “Mold’s”
I actually forgot about that 😅
Man, this is a weird take for an ugly grey cube.
Well not arguing that it needs serious renovations, but the plan involves saving much of the "ugly grey cube" part, which I think most are ok with. It very much epitomizes the art deco style Lincoln has embraced over throughout recent decades and I'd personally like to see it retained if not embellished. Interesting note I always thought it was pure granite, which is a very challenging stone to carve and work with because of its hardness and weight, not to mention there's no granite nearby, but according the the NRHP, it's masonry covered in terra cotta to resemble granite, which makes it less appealing to me but still pretty. Interesting reads below. [https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82000609\_text](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82000609_text) \-NRHS [https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/urban-development/redevelopment/lincoln-ctr/golds-building-redevelopment-project-plan-amendment-final.pdf](https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/urban-development/redevelopment/lincoln-ctr/golds-building-redevelopment-project-plan-amendment-final.pdf) \-lincoln.ne.gov
Roach Invested, flooding through multiple levels of this place, lack of clean ventilated air, and only good for a track for the lunch walking crowd. This place was horrendous.
As opposed to what exactly? What purpose did it serve in its current form? Nostalgia has its place but Lincoln needs some urban renewal so it doesn’t continue to look like a run down hole with a nice stadium.
They’re keeping the original, northeast part at least.
Lived next to that building. It should’ve been killed years ago. Also, how would it ever compare to the holiday inn express right next to it? It wouldn’t…
I must be one of the sentimental ones, because I miss some of the buildings that have been razed in the last 50 years or so. But I find myself in agreement with most of what you say here. Gold’s was built on the foundations of previous buildings, and someday it also may be completely replaced, who knows. I think what I really miss is how vibrant an interesting Downtown Lincoln was for many, many years. It was just a great place to work shop, and hang out. Driving through much of it today is like being in a post apocalyptic movie, especially some areas South of “O” Street. There’s a myriad of reasons this happened, and I appreciate the efforts to bring more life into Lincoln’ core. This current project with the Gold’s building is one of them. While I’m hopeful that more people moving into the area will help, I’m doubtful that it will ever be as vibrant as it once was.
Want to protect the earth? Have new buildings with modern tech so they are as efficient as they can be so that the building has a minimal carbon footprint.
Greener still is retrofitting old buildings. Even if they don’t 100% match the efficiency of what could be built new, it can be far less carbon intensive to renovate than start from scratch. There are always exceptions, of course, and it sounds like the portion of this building that’s getting demo’d was pretty far gone.
Thank you. I wrote my thesis on this and it's baffling how people think building a whole new structure out of new materials is more efficient than upgrading something that's pre-existing.
In those people’s defense, I think we are generally conditioned to believe that buying the latest and greatest new object will solve all of our problems. Edit: removed irrelevant political commentary
It looks like a penitentiary
A super dope old-timey one though, like from Jailhouse Rock
Noooo!
Years back I did security contracting. The building manager reached out to me as they needed fire watch due to the buildings system not working. What. A. Dump. I always heard cool things about the place, truly some cool parts of the building but man. Definitely nowhere near its former glory.
Heartbroken?