The Builder’s District is rapidly transforming a section of North Downtown into a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood, with new businesses opening, additional tenants on the way and major construction projects moving forward. Led by Noddle Companies, the district is located north of Interstate 480 generally between Creighton University and the Millwork Commons area. The vision is to create a walkable urban neighborhood that blends office, retail, hospitality, residential and entertainment uses while connecting several active Omaha districts. “We’re doing things in a really intentional way and trying to make sure that it’s long-term thinking and done in a very qualitative way,” said Sam Noddle, vice president of Noddle Companies. Noddle Companies relocated its headquarters to the Builder’s District last October. Since then, activity has accelerated throughout the development. Fraser Stryker signed a lease and is expected to open its office in the coming months in a relatively new, 4-story,...

Council Bluffs is seeking community input on potential expansion of transit services and infrastructure. This week, an open house was held to present potential Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and streetcar routes through Council Bluffs. Both would be extensions of either Omaha’s existing BRT route or future streetcar route. The presentation and public comment period are part of the city’s Planning and Environmental Linkages (“PEL”) Study. This type of study is used to support and examine potential transportation investments that would qualify for federal funding. Four alternatives are being considered. Three of the four utilize BRT but are routed through three different corridors: West Broadway, 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue. The lone streetcar option would be routed along the 1st Avenue corridor and require a new multimodal bridge over the Missouri River to connect to the Omaha Streetcar system. The routes are being presented to the public as ways to enhance accessibility, improve mobility and...