Downtown Omaha’s recent wave of major attractions and infrastructure investments is helping transform the city into a stronger tourism and convention destination. From the Kiewit Luminarium and Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement to Steelhouse Omaha and the expanded Joslyn Art Museum, tourism officials say Omaha’s growing list of downtown attractions is attracting more visitors, helping secure future conventions and boosting the city’s national profile. “We’ve seen steady tourism growth year over year,” said Jasmyn Goodwin, executive director of Visit Omaha, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. “All of the investments have really improved our visitor experience and enhanced our overall product.” According to Visit Omaha, downtown visitation has steadily increased in recent years. In 2021, Omaha welcomed 2.6 million out-of-town visitors to the downtown area. By 2025, that number had grown to 2.8 million. Visit Omaha tracks visitation through Placer.ai, a data system that uses...

Upscale condominiums are coming to the Old Market. Sentinel Property Group, which has redeveloped several downtown Omaha buildings over the years, is converting the former Cornerstone Lofts building at 1105 Harney Street into 29 condominiums. The building is now known as Cornerstone The Residences. The 5-story brick building is located along the future streetcar route, and in addition to residential units, is home to Jams American Grill on the ground level. Just west of Jams, the former Mouth of the South space will soon be occupied by Sakura Ichiban Co., a Japanese restaurant owned by David Utterback, and Anna’s Place, a speakeasy relocating from the Hotel Indigo. Built in the 1880s as a mercantile warehouse, the building was designed in the Romanesque Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed by businessman Ezra Millard, a former mayor of Omaha for whom Millard, Nebraska was named. The building is held up by massive Douglas fir...