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, mass-timber building at 1501 Mike Fahey Street. Good Life Sports Bar & Grill recently opened in that same building and is currently planning a large four-season patio on the south side of its space. The patio will exceed 4,000 sq. ft. and is expected to be completed next spring.
According to Noddle, the Mike Fahey Street building is nearing full occupancy. Lease agreements are being finalized with a retail store and a restaurant, which would bring the retail portion of the building to 100 percent leased. Only two office spaces remain available, with one currently being leased and the other under active negotiations.
The district has also become a growing destination for community events and entertainment. Sonny’s, located between 16th and 17th Streets south of Cuming Street, has hosted College World Series and World Cup watch parties.
Noddle Companies has partnered with Alley Taco for a year-long food truck residency at Sonny’s and recently launched a second movie series in partnership with Film Streams.
Construction is also nearing completion on a major parking structure that will provide more than 550 parking spaces east of 16th Street at California Street. The garage includes a 3,000 sq. ft. restaurant space fronting 16th Street.
Another significant project is moving forward as well. Noddle Companies has signed a franchise agreement with Marriott for a hotel that would include approximately 170 guest rooms and 12 luxury condominiums. That hotel will be constructed on a current parking lot on the south side of Mike Fahey Street between 16th and 17th streets.
As development continues, Noddle said collaboration with Creighton University has been a key factor in shaping the district’s vision.
“We’re really appreciative of everything Creighton is doing,” Noddle said. “They’ve been a great collaborator of ours and kind of an inspiration for us.”
Creighton’s ongoing campus investments, including projects associated with the university’s Fly Together initiative and new athletic facilities, have helped create momentum throughout the surrounding area. Noddle said it is important that the Builder’s District complements those efforts and maintains a similar level of quality and intentionality.
“We hope that it feels like an extension of their campus in some ways,” he said. “We certainly hope that they’re proud of it and that they’re using the hotel and frequenting the retailers.”
Beyond serving students, faculty and visitors, Noddle believes the district will become an important gathering place for the broader community.
“I think it will have a massive impact,” he said. “There will be opportunities for people to create businesses. There will be an opportunity for people to live. I think there will be a lot of community events that are held in the district.”
Looking ahead, Noddle sees the Builder’s District as a critical link connecting several of North Downtown’s destinations. He points to the success of Millwork Commons, Creighton’s continued growth and nearby entertainment developments as complementary pieces of a larger urban ecosystem.
“I’m really excited to see how the Builder’s District kind of weaves them all together,” Noddle said. “I hope that we can create some connectivity so that it feels easy to walk through those districts to the other neighborhoods.”
As new businesses open and construction projects are completed, the Builder’s District is steadily filling what Noddle describes as “the hole in the donut” of North Downtown, helping create a more connected and active urban core for Omaha.
