The March 26th Weekly Market Report

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

Stella’s Bar & Grill has temporarily reopened at the Bellevue Eagles Club at 209 West Mission Avenue, after a February fire at its original location. The family-owned restaurant is operating with a limited menu and cash-only service while working toward a consistent schedule. The 90-year-old spot is known for its burgers served on paper napkins.

Le Voltaire, a French fine dining restaurant at 569 North 155th Plaza in Pepperwood Village, temporarily closed March 14 for remodeling and is set to reopen April 1. The restaurant, which opened in 2001, is marking its 25th anniversary this year.

Renovations are underway inside the former Blatt Beer and Table space at 2835 South 170th Plaza in the Shops of Legacy. That’s where Clio, the popular Mediterranean restaurant in the Old Market, plans to open a west Omaha location. Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group owns both Clio and Blatt Beer and Table. Clio is expected to open late this spring.

Flower Child plans to open its first Nebraska location in late June at 120 Regency Parkway, on the north side of Regency Shopping Center. The restaurant is under construction in the parking lot northeast of Bonefish Grill and Borsheims.

A Taste of New Orleans is selling its food truck to focus on its restaurant and catering operations. The sale includes recipes, training and designated parking spots around Omaha. The Cajun and Creole concept has operated for more than 13 years and is located at 6023 Maple Street.

Only a couple months after opening, Benjamin’s Neighborhood Kitchen closed permanently this weekend. A sign on the front door says, “With heavy hearts, we want to share that, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to continue operating.” Located at 3623 North 129th Street in Eagle Run Plaza, Benjamin’s replaced Copal Mexican Grill, which had been operating in the space.

JD Sports will open a store this spring at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna. Interior renovations are currently underway. The 5,500 sq. ft. space was formerly occupied by the Hanes Brands and is adjacent to Under Amour and Rally House. JD is a British multinational sports-fashion retailer with thousands of stores including an existing one at Westroads Mall.

Little Diggers, a children’s entertainment franchise, is partnering with Ben Steward, a DC West Middle School teacher, to open an Omaha location. The 1,200 sq. ft. play space is expected to open this fall at a yet-to-be-announced address. Little Diggers offers large, indoor sandboxes for kids to play. The Dublin, Ohio-based company started in 2023 and has 18 existing or coming-soon locations listed on its website.

Rich Movement Pilates opened March 2nd at 816 North 14th Street in The Yard building in North Downtown. Locally owned by Sydney Richards, Rich Movement Pilates is a Reformer + Cadillac Pilates studio, which incorporates two pieces of Pilates equipment that use spring-based resistance to create a full-body, low-impact, high-intensity workout. The business is open seven days a week.

Interior build-out has started on a future HOTWORX yoga studio in a 2,400 sq. ft. space in the Atlas Apartments building at 30th & California Street. HOTWORX has more than 800 locations worldwide, including three existing ones in the Omaha Metro. The Atlas was formerly St. Joseph Hospital before NuStyle Development transformed it into a 732-unit apartment complex.

Learn more about Anderson Convenience market at www.Anderson1952.com

The Committee Chophouse Serves History and Steak at 1,200 Degrees

By Chris Corey

The Committee Chophouse opened December 2020 just after the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel opened for guests following a major renovation. It’s nestled in the building’s lower level and is a big part of the rebirth of the historic Blackstone Hotel. Walking into the hotel feels like stepping back into the Roaring Twenties. You can almost hear the faint sounds of a Prohibition-era party somewhere nearby, with men in pinstripe suits and fedoras alongside women in flapper dresses, feathered headbands and glamorous bobbed hair.

In fact, workers discovered a secret room during renovations between the first and second floors, believed to hide liquor between 1920 and 1933. Now, a speakeasy of sorts greets you as you make your way down the staircase of marbled walls and meticulously tiled floors. You’ll pass the Cottonwood Room, a dark, sexy cocktail lounge. To your left is the chophouse.

The Committee Chophouse gets its name from the weekly poker group that met roughly between 1920 and 1935. The players were known as “The Committee.” Legend has it that food was a central focus as decks were shuffled, bluffs were called and stakes raised. Another legend many Omahans, including myself, swear by is that the Reuben sandwich was invented here.

As the story goes, local grocer Reuben Kulakofsky was a Committee member. He came up with the sandwich during a late-night game. Bernard Schimmel, son of hotel owner Charles Schimmel, and a hotel chef helped turn the idea into an actual sandwich. Charles liked it enough to add it to the hotel restaurant menu.

The main competing origin story points to New York deli owner Arnold Reuben. It became known as the Reuben Special, often served cold and sometimes featured meats other than corned beef, such as ham or turkey. He used coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. But the Reuben we all know is grilled, strictly corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing (or Thousand Island if you prefer).

This hotel is bursting with culinary history. Now it sears steaks at 1,200 degrees.

Our tour of the menu began with…

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Omaha Grows by Nearly 1% According to Latest Census Bureau Data

By Jeff Beals & Lou Chiganos

The Omaha metro area grew by nearly 1 percent over the past year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today. The updated population estimates cover the period from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025.

The 8-county Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area grew from a population of 1,000,266 in 2024 to 1,009,836 in 2025. That’s a net gain of 9,570 people and a healthy growth rate of .96 percent. The average growth rate for all U.S. metro areas was only about .5 percent.

The nation has 423 metro areas, and each one of them is comprised of counties as determined by the Census Bureau. The feds have declared five counties in Nebraska and three in Iowa comprise the Omaha NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Here’s a look at how each of those counties grew from 2024 to 2025:

Douglas (NE) 606,460 = +.92% annual growth
Sarpy (NE) 208,303 = +1.85% annual growth
Pottawattamie (IA) 92,996 = -.29% annual
Cass (NE) 27,657 = +.57% annual growth
Saunders (NE) 23,702 = +1.1% annual growth
Washington (NE) 21,302 = +.07% annual growth
Mills (IA) 14,793 = +.31% annual growth
Harrison (IA) 14,623 = +.2% annual growth

As has been the case for the past several years, the three Iowa counties are holding the metro’s growth rate down especially Pottawattamie, which actually shrunk over the past year.

A couple other Nebraska counties may be of interest. Lancaster County, home of Lincoln, grew by .82 percent to 334,049. Dodge County, home of Fremont, grew by .33 percent to 38,057.

Nebraska’s two fastest-growing counties were Kimball and Banner counties in the far southwest corner of the panhandle. That population growth was likely caused by Denver-area residents moving further out. That’s been a recent trend for that part of Nebraska especially because of its relatively short drive time from Denver International Airport.

Here’s how the Omaha metro area’s population and growth rate compare to other regional metros with populations of at least 350,000. The list below is ranked by rate of population growth:

Des Moines = 758,539 (1.03%)
Omaha = 1,009,836 (.96%)
Oklahoma City = 1,512,813 (.92%)
Lincoln = 352,081 (.82%)
Minneapolis = 3,790,295 (.78%)
Kansas City = 2,270,682 (.77%)
Tulsa = 1,069,273 (.77%)
Wichita = 663,809 (.65%)
Colorado Springs = 781,796 (.6%)
Denver = 3,092,037 (.36%)

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

PENN Entertainment, Inc., parent company of Ameristar Casino Hotel, plans to relocate its existing Council Bluffs casino operations from its riverboat into a 2-story, 135,000 sq. ft. building to be constructed in Ameristar’s current parking lot, according to recently filed City of Council Bluffs planning documents. As part of the project, PENN Entertainment will change the venue’s name to Hollywood Casino.

The future casino building will be accompanied by a 566-stall parking garage. All existing buildings will be retained, including the Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn hotels. The current Ameristar Hotel will be connected via a porte-cochère, which will provide a cover over the drop-off and pick-up areas. The current riverboat casino will remain in operation during construction. PENN plans to start construction as soon as it receives final city approval. The project will take 24 months.

JE Dunn, general contractor for Mutual of Omaha’s downtown headquarters building, held a “topping-out” celebration yesterday for the skyscraper under construction at 200 South 14th Street. Topping out occurs when the final steel beam is hoisted into place. The building will be completed late this year. All major concrete pours are done. The glass exterior curtain wall is completed through level 42. The building will be fully enclosed, and the tower crane will disassembled, this summer. The building is the tallest skyscraper in a multi-state region.

Opus has started construction on the Highway 370 Logistics building at 13760 Highway 370 on a 12-acre site near Amazon’s regional distribution center in Papillion. The 168,486 sq. ft., speculative, industrial building will have 32-foot clear ceiling height, 10 dock doors, two drive-in doors, 115 vehicle parking stalls and 31 trailer parking stalls. Minneapolis-based Opus has developed several Omaha projects including the Storz Warehouse and build-to-suits for Omaha Box Company, Gavilon Group and CSG Systems.

As the MidAmerican Energy Adventure Tower, skywalk and pier at River’s Edge near completion, the Council Bluffs City Council approved resolutions to ensure equitable access. The city agreed to amend the license agreement between Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact and The Approach, LLC.

The tower will have an outdoor climbing wall and roller glide, among other amenities. The Approach has agreed to work with non-profit organizations in Iowa and Nebraska to help provide access to low-income families by having access days and free passes distributed through the Council Bluffs Public Library and the Omaha Public Library systems.

Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens placed third in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contest for “Best Botanical Garden.” Nominees for the category were submitted by a panel of experts, and Lauritzen Gardens was selected as one of 20 finalists from a national pool of garden nominations. Public voting narrowed the field to the top 10, with voting open from February 9 through March 9. In its second year as a nominee, the garden improved to a third-place finish after ranking fifth in 2025.

Construction has gone vertical on the Bellevue Bay indoor Water Park under development northwest of Highways 75 & 34. Part of the steel infrastructure is now visible to drivers passing by on the Kennedy Freeway. The $60 million tourist attraction anchors Bellevue’s Goodlife District. When it opens in the middle of 2027, the 100,000 sq. ft. building will be the fourth largest indoor water park in the United States. The City of Bellevue has signed a sub-licensing agreement to use Mattel branding in the park. Mattel brands will appear throughout the property.

The Council Bluffs City Council approved a land purchase from the Iowa Department of Roads needed to build a destination playground near River’s Edge. The playground will be located south of the Interstate 480 overpass, just west of the River Park by Broadmoor apartment complex. Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact will pay the $70,000 price tag for the right of way. The property will be owned by the City of Council Bluffs. Broadmoor will donate the remaining needed land to the city. The playground is part of Phase V of the River’s Edge project, which also includes a dog park and a plaza to highlight the contributions of donors to the overall project.

What will Omaha’s future streetcar stations look like? In his latest Grow Omaha Transportation column, Eric Miller, streetcar operations manager for the City of Omaha, answers that question. Read it HERE.

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Hello Garage plans to open a retail showroom in Elkhorn. According to a building permit, the garage renovation company will be located at 602 North 210th Street, south of the Union Bank & Trust Sports Complex. Hello Garage, started by locally owned Supportworks, installs polyaspartic concrete finishes and storage and organization solutions in 20 states throughout the country.

Dingman’s Collision Center plans to open a Gretna location on March 30 at 20227 Husker Drive in a recently constructed, 20,600 sq. ft. building just north of 202nd & Highway 370. Dingman’s has four existing locations at 120th & West Maple Road, 144th & Industrial Road, Midtown Omaha and downtown Papillion.

Children’s Physicians – Mission Village is closing its office and clinic at 16909 Q Street, where it has operated for more than 25 years. The Mission Village team will move June 1st to Children’s new office at 20502 Roosevelt Street, which is northwest of 204th & Harrison Street.

DC Diamond Training, an indoor baseball and softball training facility, plans to open by the end of this month at 123 East Gardiner Street in Valley. Founded by John Harvey and Chris Link, the business features three indoor batting cages and pitching tunnels, including one 60′ x 14′ cage with HitTrax, two additional fully netted tunnels, two Hack Attack pitching machines and a convertible 1,900 sq. ft. training space. DC Diamond Training will offer private lessons, facility rentals, clinics, camps and HitTrax leagues.

Berkshire Hathaway is set to acquire a 2.49 percent stake in Japanese insurer Tokio Marine for approximately $1.8 billion as part of a newly formed “strategic partnership,” according to Yahoo Finance. Tokio Marine will sell around 48.2 million treasury shares to National Indemnity Company, Berkshire’s primary reinsurance subsidiary.

Union Pacific Corporation will release first quarter 2026 financial and operating results on Thursday, April 23, at 6:45 a.m. CDT. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 7:45 a.m.

A fast growing agtech startup from Lincoln plans to open an Omaha office in the Millwork Commons District. According to a building permit, Marble Technologies will open a 7,400 sq. ft. office space in the Mastercraft Building at 1111 North 13th Street. The Mastercraft was one of the first anchors of the burgeoning Millwork Commons District, providing space for flexible office and light industrial space for more than 60 businesses and organizations.

Marble Technologies provides and develops AI-driven robotic automation to meat and food processing. The company recently installed machines in Greater Omaha Packing’s South Omaha plant, helping alleviate labor shortages.

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Four properties in the Omaha Municipal Land Bank’s inventory are now available for affordable housing development. The four lots are part of the land bank’s Shovel-Ready Effort, through which the land bank supports the development of affordable housing units within qualified census tracts located in north and South Omaha. The effort eliminates barriers to construction by conducting site preparation work, such as removing foundations, trees or other vegetation; removing trash or other dumped material; and grading land or replatting lots, among other steps. The lots are located in North Omaha at 3612 Grand Avenue, 4940 North 35th Street, 4931 North 35th Street and 3183 Grand Avenue.

Autism Action Partnership is hosting a celebration of World Autism Day on April 4, 2026, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at Omaha’s Gene Leahy Mall. The celebration is free and open to the public. The celebration will include yard games and booths. Omaha Children’s Museum, Kids on the Block Puppets, Common Senses, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Omaha Police Department’s Mounted Patrol are among the groups offering booths with fun activities.

Completely KIDS held a groundbreaking ceremony for two new spaces at 2448 St. Mary’s Avenue: The Henry Davis Center and the reimagined Cindy Leiferman Nature Explore Classroom. The new projects are part of the nonprofit organization’s $28 million comprehensive campaign. Construction on the 28,500 square foot facility is expected to progress throughout 2026, with the center opening to serve Omaha families upon completion in July 2027.

The Omaha Community Foundation has established a Nebraska Wildfires Response Fund to collect and deploy resources for first responders. OCF will report more about where relief funds are directed as the situation unfolds.

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Cole Young, Contributing Writer

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named the head men’s basketball coach at Creighton University,” Huss said. “This university has meant so much to me as a former player, as an alum and through the seven years I’ve spent serving this program. Creighton helped shape who I am, and the opportunity to now lead this program is something I do not take lightly.”

Alan Huss will take over as head coach after Greg McDermott’s retirement following Creighton’s participation in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas (April 2-5).

The Omaha Supernovas’ three-match winning streak was snapped on Wednesday night by the San Diego Mojo, 3-1. Omaha took set one 25-16, but was subdued by the Mojo, who took the next three sets 25-23, 25-16, 25-20. The Supernovas will enjoy an extended break, with their next match at the Atlanta Vibe next Thursday, April 2.

Opposite hitter Emily Londot was named the Major League Volleyball Player of the Week by the league prior to Wednesday’s match. Londot recorded a match-high 18 points on 17 kills while posting a career-best .417 hitting percentage in Omaha’s sweep of the Grand Rapids Rise last Friday. She becomes the first opposite hitter to earn an MLV weekly award in 2026.

LOVB Nebraska scored a reverse sweep on the road against LOVB Atlanta on Wednesday night. With the win, Nebraska vaulted Atlanta in league standings and now sits in third place with three matches remaining before the LOVB playoffs, beginning April 10. Nebraska has to face the top two teams in LOVB standings, Houston and Salt Lake, in its next two matches, beginning with a home match against LOVB Salt Lake on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Creighton and Omaha baseball met for the second time in seven days on Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field. Creighton trailed 6-3 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth before using five straight singles to score three runs and tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Nate McHugh secured the walk-off victory for the Bluejays, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.

Creighton went right back to work against South Dakota State Wednesday night, and defeated the Jackrabbits, 11-5. Creighton will host Sacramento State for a weekend series, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Omaha will return to Summit League play this weekend, traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a series against St. Thomas. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday. Omaha is now 8-14 on the season and 4-2 in Summit League action.

Wednesday night, Omaha softball hosted Creighton for the first of two meetings this season, and defeated the Bluejays 3-2. Creighton took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning on a double from Kaelan Shultz. Omaha answered in the bottom of the inning when Taylor Sedlacek scored on a wild pitch. Omaha took the lead for good in the fourth with a solo home run from Sammy Schmidt and run-scoring groundout by Bailey Sample.

Omaha (21-7, 3-0) will host Summit League foe Kansas City for a weekend series, beginning at 4 p.m. Friday. Creighton (15-8, 7-2) will host Seattle for a weekend series, beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Union Omaha defeated USL League One newcomers, Athletic Club Boise, in its home opener on Sunday, 3-2. Omaha had help from Boise midfielder Philip Mayaka, who gave the Owls their first goal of the match on an own goal. From there, Omaha forward Diego Gutierrez scored twice to put the Owls over the top, delivering the game-winner in the 84th minute. Omaha returns to action at Morrison Stadium on Saturday, hosting Corpus Christi FC at 4 p.m.

The Omaha Kings FC will return to Baxter Arena on Friday for their final home match of the regular season against the Wichita Wings. The club will be hosting Military & First Responders Night, with all active and retired military members and first responders receiving free admission and discounted tickets for family members. At halftime, the organization will recognize the Omaha Queens FC, which just concluded their season. Friday’s match will kick off at 7 p.m.

League One Volleyball announced on Tuesday that the LOVB Championship will be held at LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, April 16 and Saturday, April 18. The top two teams from the three-day LOVB Playoffs, held April 10-12 in Louisville, Kentucky, will enter a two-day championship format. Should the two matches yield different winners, they’ll move to a golden set to decide who takes home the trophy. First serve for the championship match is set for Saturday, April 18 at 5 p.m. PT, live on USA Network.

Next Tuesday, Creighton baseball and softball will each host in-state rival Nebraska for a downtown doubleheader, beginning with the women at the Creighton Softball Stadium at 5 p.m. Baseball’s first pitch will be thrown at Charles Schwab Field one hour later, at 6 p.m.

In the last 10 complete matchups against Nebraska, Creighton softball is 1-9, while baseball has found more success, going 8-2 against the Huskers. Tuesday’s game against Nebraska will be Creighton softball’s only one this season, while baseball will play a full season series, heading to Lincoln on Tuesday, April 14 before returning to Omaha for the season finale on Tuesday, May 12.

Upcoming Events

• Creighton softball vs. Seattle | March 26-28 | 5 p.m. Thursday
• Omaha baseball at St. Thomas | March 27 – 29 | 3 p.m. Friday
• Omaha softball vs. Kansas City | March 27 – 29 | 4 p.m. Friday
• Creighton baseball vs. Sacramento State | March 27 – 29 | 6 p.m. Friday
• Omaha Kings FC vs. Wichita | Friday, March 27 | 7 p.m.
• Union Omaha vs. Corpus Christi | Saturday, March 28 | 4 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska vs. LOVB Salt Lake | Saturday, March 28 | 4:30 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Nebraska | Tuesday, March 31 | 5 p.m.
• Creighton baseball vs. Nebraska | Tuesday, March 31 | 6 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska vs. LOVB Houston | Wednesday, April 1 | 7 p.m.

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The Rise & Fall of Jobbers Canyon

By Patrick Wyman

The largest destruction of a historic district in the country occurred in Omaha nearly four decades ago. The area was known as Jobbers Canyon.

The industrial district was formed after Council Bluffs was designated the eastern terminus for the transcontinental railroad in 1863. This act helped establish Omaha as an important transportation hub as its location on the western banks of the Missouri River was the starting point for the railroad that extended to the west coast.

In the area between the river and the train tracks, wholesalers or jobbers that acquired goods from manufacturers via train so that they could be sold to retailers, began to build warehouses. Starting in the 1880s and continuing into the 1920s, they built two dozen buildings in an area that grew into a massive jobbing district. This helped propel the city’s economic growth during its early years.

While the area extended from 8th to 10th and from Farnam to Jackson streets, there was a three-block section along 9th Street in which the massive structures created a “canyon” effect, thereby earning the nickname Jobbers Canyon. The warehouses within the district were designed by some of Omaha’s most prominent architects and firms, including Thomas Kimball, John Latenser and Sons, Fisher and Lawrie, Charles Cleves and George Prinz.

As the city grew, the downtown area continued to thrive as a center of commerce well into the 20th century but began to suffer as the city expanded west. This led to a decline in the urban core driven by highway construction, urban renewal projects and the building of suburban neighborhoods, shopping centers and business parks.

By the 1970s, the area downtown was no longer the retail and office center of the city. To reverse that trend, city leaders embarked on a decades-long effort to revitalize downtown and the urban core. The goal was to draw people back to the area by making it a more desirable place to live and work. This led to the construction of Central Park Mall (present-day Gene Leahy Mall), which was designed to connect the business district to the river from which the city began.

City planners at the time stressed the potential of the riverfront and the old warehouses in Jobbers Canyon. They even acknowledged that many of the buildings were in good structural condition and could be easily renovated. Having just witnessed the success of the Old Market, there was a proposal to reclaim and reuse the buildings for housing and other purposes. That led to Jobbers Canyon being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

By this time, Omaha-based Conagra had outgrown its current headquarters and began searching for an alternative home. The company, which moved to Omaha in 1922 after being founded in Grand Island just three years earlier, had become one of the largest food companies in the country.

After losing thousands of jobs to Texas, when InterNorth (formerly Northern Natural Gas) acquired Houston Natural Gas to form Enron, Omaha was fearful that if Conagra also relocated, it would continue downtown’s downward spiral. Tax credits ultimately proved successful in getting the company to stay even as it expressed a preference for a suburban-style campus rather than a skyscraper.

As part of its return to the river plan, officials steered the company toward the riverfront. One proposal included a high-rise tower and several low-rise structures while also preserving nearly all of the warehouses in the Jobbers Canyon Historic District in addition to connecting the downtown park to the river.

The plan was rejected, at which point Conagra’s CEO at the time said that he wouldn’t build its new campus next to “some big, ugly red brick buildings” which would dominate the riverfront and compress the campus.

In response, city officials agreed to demolish Jobbers Canyon Historic District and to allow Conagra to build its coveted suburban campus just east of the Old Market, which had developed into the heart of downtown Omaha. In an effort that received national attention, preservationists attempted to rally support to save the historic district only to come up short.

With the exception of the Nash Block at 902 Farnam Street, which was in the process of being renovated as The Greenhouse Apartments, the entirety of Jobbers Canyon was cleared within a year.

Soon afterwards, the historic warehouses were replaced with several low-rise, suburban-style buildings on a campus that incorporated the new Heartland of America Park and its man-made lake.

In 2016, nearly 100 years since its founding and 27 years after causing the destruction of Jobbers Canyon, Conagra relocated its headquarters from Omaha to a historic building in downtown Chicago. The move resulted in the loss of 1,500 jobs and one of the city’s five Fortune 500 companies.

In 2022, a portion of the Conagra campus was demolished to make way for Brickline at the Mercantile, a building that includes 379 apartments and a 640-stall parking garage. It also includes ground-level commercial space that serves as the home to restaurants Memoir and Tupelo Honey; Ghost Donkey, a cocktail bar; and Cham Pang Lanes, a duckpin bowling alley.

The park that made up a part of its campus was renovated to include the Farnam Pier, an outdoor skate ribbon along with other features. When it’s complete in 2028, the streetcar will also run along both 8th and 10th streets within the former Jobbers Canyon Historic District.

Since 1917, Bankers Trust has been a leading financial institution for commercial and consumer banking services. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with $7.5 billion in assets, Bankers Trust is the state’s largest privately held community bank. Bankers Trust has operated a loan production office in Omaha since 2008 and opened its first full-service branch in 2025. Visit Bankers Trust at the corner of 192nd and Dodge to see how we can make a difference for all your personal and commercial banking needs.

The Holland Center will feature Clara Schumann & Brahms at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. The concert starts with Unsuk Chin’s tribute to Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Subito con Forza. Pianist Zee Zee, a bright and electric performer who’s collaborated with many orchestras, makes her Omaha debut with Clara Schumann’s exquisite Piano Concerto, a masterpiece she composed before the age of 16. Brahms’ final Symphony No. 4 delivers a conclusion full of grandeur, an emotional summation of his own legacy and the composers and friends who lit his way.

There will also be a special after-hours show by Zee Zee performing a one-of-a-kind solo performance, where all are invited to attend at no additional cost. Visit their website for more information.

Omaha Children’s Museum will host an “Egg-stravagant Weekend” event March 27 through 29. Get your Easter celebration on with a fun Meet-and-Greet with the Easter Bunny, as well as other “egg-citing” activities. Tickets are only valid for the Easter Bunny Meet-and-Greet. An active Omaha Children’s Museum membership or admission ticket are required for all other Egg-Stravagant Family Fun Weekend activities. Visit here for tickets and more information.

The 2026 UNO Juried Art Student Exhibition will conclude its exhibit on March 27 with a reception and awards ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m. on the first floor of the Weber Fine Arts Building at UNO’s Dodge Campus. The UNO Art Gallery presents a selection of works by art majors and minors in studio arts, art education and art history juried by Teresa Gleason, who owns Ming Toy Gallery in the Benson area. Parking is free in the west garage on Fridays. Use the Park Omaha app on other days.

The Omaha Symphony will be joined by Grammy Award-winning Patti LaBelle for an unforgettable performance at the Holland Performing Arts Center May 13 at 7:30 p.m. Back in Omaha since 2019, The “Godmother of Soul” will perform hits from her extensive catalogue. For more than 60 years, LaBelle’s incredible voice has left a mark on the soul and R&R industry, from her first hit as lead singer of the Bluebelles to becoming a solo artist and receiving wild acclaim all over the country. The performance will be led by Music Director Laureate Thomas Wilkins, who led the orchestra for 16 years until 2021, as well as joined by nationally renowned cellist Joshua Roman. Visit here for information.

The Florentine Players, a local nonprofit community theater group, will premiere its 61st annual melodrama “Cassidy Croft and The Lost Treasure of Jesse James OR Treasure? Hardly Knew Her,” on Thursday, April 30 at Florence City Hall.

Written and directed by Derek Kowal and Luke McGuire, the production is set in the 1980s, where a time capsule is cracked open in Florence and a mysterious clue launches a race for Jesse James’ lost loot. The show is packed with 80s nostalgia, fun and unique local flavor. There will be six performances, starting April 30 to May 2, and then May 7 to 9. Visit here for information.

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Did you know about 550 people are working in the Eppley Airfield terminal construction site each day? That number will increase as the project progresses. And work is being done under challenging conditions – Despite the construction, Eppley must still serve millions of passengers each year.

Did you know downtown’s Hilton Omaha Hotel is the largest hotel in Nebraska? It has 600 rooms and is attached via skywalk to the CHI Health Center Omaha.

Did you know Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium was ranked #1 in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards? It was the fourth consecutive year.

This section is sponsored by Lockbox Storage, an affiliate of Omaha-based McGregor Interests Inc. We provide storage solutions for all of your storage needs. Our facilities have full-time managers and bright lighting to provide superior security for your belongings. In addition to space for rent, we also provide packing supplies, protection plans and locks along with complimentary handcarts and dollies. Visit LockBox Storage and let us help you with all your storage needs.

Business Gifting Exchange Live (Omaha) happening March 27th:
Swap the usual networking for a curated business-to-business gifting experience where companies support each other with high-quality products or services valued at $250 or more. Coppla staff review applications, create thoughtful matches, and invite selected participants to a live exchange built for real connections and mutual growth. A non-refundable application fee is required, with priority given to Coppla members and partner networking groups. Apply to be matched and join the exchange.

Egg-stravagant Weekend happening March 27-29th:
Bring the family for a bunny-filled Easter weekend with a chance to meet the Easter Bunny and jump into themed activities. Expect festive moments, easy photo ops and seasonal surprises that keep kids engaged while parents enjoy the fun too. It’s a simple, cheerful way to celebrate together without overthinking the plan. Stop by and make it part of your weekend.

Pickle Party, presented by Bloc Fitness happening March 28th:
Midtown Crossing turns delightfully briny for the 3rd Annual Midtown Pickle Party, a neighborhood pickle-themed pub crawl with pickle-inspired drinks, bites, and playful activities. Visit participating spots from 3 to 6 p.m. and find crunchy surprises waiting at every stop. Convenient parking in the Midtown Crossing garage makes it easy to hop around. Gather your crew and join the crawl.

The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show – Omaha, NE happening March 28th:
Settle in at the DoubleTree Hotel Omaha Southwest for an interactive true-crime murder mystery where the suspects could be sitting right next to you. Enjoy a full dinner as the story unfolds with hidden actors, sharp turns and plenty of laughs along the way. Your ticket includes the live show, dinner, gratuity and a chance to solve the case, making it a great pick for date night or a group outing. Grab tickets and see if you can crack it.

Kids Night Out happening March 28th:
Kids ages 5–12 get an after-hours zoo adventure packed with hands-on activities, animal encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, a movie, plus pizza and snacks. Trained educators lead the fun from 5 to 9 p.m., so kids stay busy while parents enjoy a night off. Space is limited and reservations are required, so planning ahead is key. Reserve a spot and let them take over the zoo for the night.

Greater Omaha Orchid Society’s Orchid Show and Sale happening March 28th & 29th:
See orchids at their best at this judged show and sale featuring standout plants from regional growers. Wander the displays, chat with experts about orchid care and shop a wide selection from regional and national vendors. It’s included with paid Lauritzen Gardens admission and free for garden members, so you can make a full afternoon of it. Come browse, learn and pick out a new plant to take home.

This section is sponsored by Eagle Mortgage, a locally owned, full-service mortgage company helping you with Conventional, VA, FHA and USDA loans in both Nebraska and Iowa. Learn how Eagle Mortgage helps people afford the home of their dreams by clicking HERE!

NP Dodge Real Estate has welcomed two residential sales associates including Amy Christensen and Emily Johnson.

Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Cemetery and Mausoleum has appointed Brian Kruse as its executive director. He spent the previous 10 years serving as Douglas County Election Commissioner. Kruse holds a Bachelor degree in History from Wayne State College.

The Greater Omaha Chamber is a catalyst and connector, advocating for businesses small and large. Learn, share and grow with more than 12,000 professionals from 3,000 member businesses across Greater Omaha. Click HERE to see our latest events.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Forty percent of all white-collar workers who changed jobs at the end of 2025 took salary cuts of 10 percent or more, according to analysis from Revelio Labs as reported by The Hustle. To make matters worse, mid-career roles ask for 10 percent more experience than they did three years ago, with senior roles asking for 11 percent more.

Want people to instantly like you both personally and professionally? According to one study, the strongest predictor of whether strangers will like you is your “interpersonal warmth,” according to BIG THINK. Participants who appeared engaged, responsive, and comfortable in the interaction, maintaining eye contact and seeming open rather than inhibited, were far more likely to be liked.

Gallup’s October 30-November 13, 2025 survey found more U.S. workers with a negative outlook on their prospects than a positive one, the first such reveral in its tracking, according to USA TODAY. Only 28 percent of workers said now is a good time to find a job. About 30 percent of workers agreed that they feel stuck in their current job, and 43 percent said they stay because leaving would be too difficult or too costly.

Business Travel – United Air Lines plans to introduce United Relax Row, a special set of three economy seats that can transform into a couch on some long-haul flights. It’ll be a taste of business class in the economy cabin.

SALES

What do you do when a prospect sets a meeting with you and then no-shows? It’s an old problem, but it’s becoming even more common now that so many sales meetings take place virtually.

Best-selling sales author Jeb Blount has some advice for you, and it starts with concept of “commitment and consistency.” When people commit to something, they typically feel compelled to follow through. Otherwise, they feel guilty. Blount says your job is “to engineer so many small commitments throughout the process that they show up in the first place.” Here are the steps…

1. Confirm verbally right when you set the meeting

2. When you send a meeting invite put a lot of detail in the title such as “(Your name) (your company name) + (prospect’s name) (prospect’s company name) – (why you’re meeting).” This will make them less likely to blow you off when they see this on their calendar.

3. Record a quick, 20 second video of yourself personally addressing your prospect shortly after you schedule the meeting and then email it to them. Tell them you’re looking forward to meeting them.

4. Leave them a reminder voicemail the day before your scheduled meeting.

5. Send a morning-of reminder email.

WISDOM

“Selling your winners and holding your losers is like cutting the flowers and watering the weeds.” – Peter Lynch

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This year’s Berkshire Hathaway meeting will be the first one without Warren at the helm. Thus, I thought I would tell one of my favorite Warren stories to highlight the event.

At the 2006 Berkshire Annual meeting, Buffett was pressed by one of the shareholders on the issue of Wall Street money managers’ ability to produce better-than-market returns. Buffett responded with a blanket challenge to Wall Street: he would bet any taker that over the course of a decade, a plain vanilla index fund would outperform the best money managers Wall Street had to offer.

A year later, Buffett received a handwritten note from Ted Siedes accepting the challenge. Siedes is a co-founder of Protégé Partners, a hedge fund investment group that specializes in locating financial wizards for pension funds and highly affluent individuals.

Hedge funds are the crème de la crème of the professional investment world. They operate with fewer regulations than mainstream mutual funds. The only investors allowed into the hedge fund inner circle are those with a multimillion-dollar net worth and a minimum $1 million down payment. In return for their self-proclaimed superior financial acumen, hedge fund managers charge 2 percent of the assets of the account per year and 20 percent of the profits.

After exchanging several more handwritten notes, the two agreed upon a stake of $1 million. Each put up $350,000 to buy a zero-coupon Treasury bond that would mature in 2017. Siedes selected a grouping of five funds so that the overall performance would not be distorted by the results of a single money manager. Buffet’s selection was the Vanguard S&P 500 index fund. One on the first and most successful of the index funds. Nothing could be plain vanilla than that.

The first few years did not go as Buffett had planned and his pronouncements were as muted as possible. However, as time progressed, things turned decidedly toward his favor. And by 2012 his S&P fund began to charge ahead and never looked back.

In what could be seen as a jab at Siedes, Buffett invited Jack Vogel, whom many consider to be the founding father of the index fund, to the 2017 Berkshire meeting. Not being too shy to toot his own horn, Buffett stated that he would announce the results at that meeting.

When it came time to settle the score in 2017, Buffett’s lowly Vanguard S&P 500 fund had increased 125.8 percent, while Siede’s handpicked fund of funds only grew 36.3 percent. Not one of the five hedge funds chosen by Siedes beat the S&P index fund revolution.

As part of his introduction of Vogel at that years Berkshire meeting, Buffett stated: “I estimate that Jack, at a minimum has saved American investors tens of billions of dollars, and the party is just getting started.”

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The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

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