News Briefs
Omaha Ranks Among Top 10 Most Competitive Apartment Markets
Omaha is the seventh most competitive apartment rental market in America, according to the New York Times. A recent study ranked 137 U.S. rental markets based on competitiveness across five metrics. In Omaha, an average of 13 prospective renters compete for each available rental unit. Here are the top 10 markets: 1. Suburban Chicago; 2. Miami-Dade County; 3. Milwaukee; 4. Bridgeport-New Haven; 5. Chicago; 6. North Jersey; 7. Omaha; 8. Suburban Philadelphia; 9. Manhattan, N.Y.; 10. Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jones Bros Cupcakes Closing Aksarben Location
Jones Bros Cupcakes will close its Aksarben Village location Monday, October 7. The Westroads mall location will remain open, and the business will continue offering its our full catering menu. On its Facebook page, Jones Bros says it is planning to open a yet-to-be-announced new location in late 2025.
Iowa West Foundation Collaboration Center Holds Grand Opening
The Iowa West Foundation Collaboration Center celebrated its grand opening last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Council Bluffs. The 51,000 sq. ft. facility on the Charles E. Lakin Human Resource Campus brings together organizations like the Visiting Nurse Association, Together Inc., Iowa Legal Aid and Firefly Council Bluffs. – Darcie Dingman Willie
Featured Project
Future Library Wins Design Award
HDR and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, both based in Omaha, won the “Merit Award, Unbuilt Category” for the American Institute of Architects 2024 Central States Excellence in Design. The $150 million library is under construction on the...
Featured Stories
PayPal Opening New Office in West Omaha
PayPal has leased two floors in the Union Bank & Trust office building on the southeast corner of 144th & West Dodge Road. Interior renovations are wrapping up, and the space should be ready for move-in this fall. The digital payments company will occupy the entirety of floors two and four in the 5-story building. UBT occupies the first floor and most of the fifth. Accounting firm McFarlin & Brokke occupies a small portion of the fifth floor. PayPal’s logo now appears on the outside of the 137,000 sq. ft. building. San Jose, California-based PayPal has had a major presence in the Omaha area for more than 20 years and has employed thousands of local workers. At one time, the company occupied two sprawling buildings near the Interstate 80 & Giles Road interchange in La Vista’s Southport East area. PayPal sold those buildings last year. Omaha-based construction giant Kiewit now occupies much of that space. Since the pandemic, most of PayPal’s local workforce has been...
City Council Approves $862 Million Crossroads Redevelopment Plan
The Omaha City Council formally moved forward with the latest proposal for The Crossroads at 72nd and Dodge Street. Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Corp., the new developer, plans to invest $862 million to convert the site into a massive mixed-use development. As previously presented, the Crossroads project will be built in phases, with Phase 1 consisting of the development of three lots. Lot B on the north side of the overall development site borders Cass Street. A multifamily building and parking garage are planned for Lot B and will be the first to go vertical starting in 2025. South of Lot B is Lot E, which will serve as a town center boasting public space surrounded by retail. The lot west of Lot E, Lot D, will have an unidentified entertainment center. Both Lot D and E will have underground parking. In an effort to have more control over the projection of the development, the City will purchase the land and lease it to the Woodbury. The City will also own the parking garages and...
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Chamber
Effective Talent Attraction and Retention
A business is only as good as its employees. How often have you heard that, or even said it yourself about your team or company? The perception, productivity, and experience your customers have with your business are shaped by your employees. What is your business...
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Omaha
Omaha Adds Fast-Paced Newcomer to Its Sports Roster
From the best college baseball in the country and NCAA Division I tournaments to BMX races, USA Triathlon events and high school national championships, Omaha is a city known for hosting sporting events with Olympic-level zest and expertise. Now, an exciting inaugural...
Omaha
Transportation
Washington DC Streetcar In Focus
An essential part in implementing any major project is to visit similar projects to see how others were done and learn from them, both the good and the bad. An advantage with public transit projects is that they are extremely easy to visit and test the user...
New Restaurants
Coming Soon
HotPot 88
2502 South 130th Avenue
Opening mid October
Roll-Em-Up Taquitos
12448 Southport Parkway, La Vista
Coming soon
Chipotle
Giles Road & Southport Parkway
Building to be constructed
Tracks Lounge
181st & Q Street
Coming soon
New Retailers
Coming Soon
Pure Barre
204th & Blondo Parkway
Coming soon
Bluejays Ice Cream & Candy
Downtown Ashland
Opening this fall
Pandora
Nebraska Crossing
Estimated opening: Spring 2025
Artisan Boards of Omaha
16920 Wright Plaza
Opening mid November
Restaurants Closing
Jones Bros Cupcakes
Aksarben Village
Closing October 7th
The Pizza Pie Guys
5318 North 156th Street
Closed
Old Chicago
All Omaha locations
Closed
Sunnyside on Center
3528 Center Street
Closing October 6
Retailers Closing
Tide Dry Cleaners
Inside local Hy-Vee stores
Permanently closed
Niche
Old Market
Closing end of October
Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery
Midtown Crossing
Closing date TBD
Gunderson’s Jewelers
Village Pointe
Closed but relocating
Grow Omaha Eats
‘Dolce’ is an Inspired Journey into Fine Dining
Dolce means sweet in Italian and originally started off as a bakery. Owner and Chef Anthony Kueper bought Dolce in 2017 and quickly implemented his spin on fine dining. Kueper has an impressive resume. He was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest in 2022.
‘Ruhlman’s Steakhouse’ Began as an Impossible Dream
Ruhlman’s Steakhouse is the realization of owner Phil Ruhlman’s lifelong dream. He had always wanted to own a steakhouse but thought it would be impossible. Ruhlman paid his way through college bartending at Misty’s Steakhouse and Lounge in Lincoln…
‘Porky Butts’ is an Omaha Master of Meats
Blane Hunter opened Porky Butts in 2018 after years of competition-winning barbecue. He grew up in South Texas, and it’s not a stretch to say he’s been barbecuing his whole life. He helped his dad as soon as he was able and later attended Fox Valley Technical College and Johnson and Wales University…
Grow Omaha Flicks
‘The Wild Robot’ is a Heartwarming Masterpiece
★ ★ ★ ★ The Wild Robot is a wonderful, charming animated film that’s sure to please all age groups. It’s heartwarming, well written, and the animation is stunning. The final animation has a slight watercolor effect to it that enhances the CGI, making it visually captivating. An intelligent robot named ROZZUM-7143, or Roz…
‘Megalopolis’ is Visually Stunning and Intellectually Confusing
★ ★ This is more of a fever dream than a movie. It’s vivid and visually stunning. It is extremely confident in its presentation. It’s also kind of boring. Megalopolis is a film about politicians and city leaders, and is so entrenched in its own politics, it forgets to tell a compelling story…
‘Transformers One’ is the Origin Story Fans Have Been Waiting For
★ ★ ★ ½ I caught myself smiling several times while watching this movie, because I started to feel like a kid again. It took me back to when The Transformers cartoon first joined the lineup of weekday after-school animated shows. It was 1985, and to most kids my age, robots that could turn into…