Grow Omaha
News Briefs

Nebraska Medicine has officially announced construction of $99.3 million Farnam Health Center on the southeast corner of 42nd & Farnam Street. The 4-story building will provide services for dermatology, general Internal medicine, outpatient gastrointestinal program and behavioral health. The building is partially funded by donors. The doors will open to patients in September 2027.

The Learning Experience Elkhorn is celebrating a grand reopening under new ownership on Saturday, April 11th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located at 3310 North 191st Avenue, The Learning Center provides early childhood education from infancy through preschool.

Construction is underway a 15-unit apartment building on a long-vacant lot at 3513 Howard Street in the Blackstone District. Known as 35Howard, the 3-story building will have studio, one- and two-bedroom units. First-time developers Josh Sullivan, Justin Spooner and Dylan Vogt said the project would not be possible without the future streetcar and the zoning changes that came with it. Completion is planned for this May.

Let It Fly is opening “Skybar” today – March 9th – at its west Omaha location at 1311 South 203rd Street. Today’s grand opening takes place at 4 p.m. The rooftop bar will be open to the public year round on the building’s second floor.

The nearly completed CORE Building at the University of Nebraska Medical Center includes ground-floor retail space that’s now available for lease. The 6-story building southwest of Saddle Creek Road and Farnam Street will contain office and laboratory space. Four first-floor bays are reserved for retail tenants, according to Noddle Companies. The building is part of the university’s EDGE District, a mixed-use extension of the campus.

Freedom Park, located along the Missouri River between downtown and the airport, could become a campground. The city-owned park is leased to a private entity that maintains its historic military artifacts including the USS Hazard. In past years, it was home to the Anchor Inn. Plans call for 100 R.V. sites, some primitive camping sites, mobile restrooms and office facilities. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval is required before the campground could open. – Isaiah Ang

Elite Learning Academy & Preschool will open its fourth location tomorrow – March 9th – at 2205 North 181st Street in Elkhorn. Founded in 2019 by Allison and Greg Acero, Elite Learning Academy’s three existing schools are in Omaha and Gretna. The early childhood education center serves infants through pre-kindergarten and offers “a play-based curriculum focused on building confidence, curiosity and kindergarten readiness.”

D.R. Horton, the nation’s largest homebuilder by volume, is purchasing Omaha-based Celebrity Homes’ lots and floor plans. Founded in 1977, Celebrity Homes plans to finish building houses it currently has under construction and will remain in business to honor warranties. Celebrity’s remaining 1,200 lots across the Omaha area will be built out by D.R. Horton, which is based in Arlington, Tex.

Hoppe & Sons development team is moving forward on a redevelopment project at 2211 Douglas Street. A former hotel has been razed to make way for a senior housing development. The 4-story apartment building will include 45 income-restricted, two-bedroom, assisted-living units and 25 market-rate units, consisting of 24 one-bedroom and 1 two-bedroom. The Omaha Planning Board approved $1.1 million in Tax Increment Financing to support the $17 million project. Construction is scheduled to begin in August. – Isaiah Ang

Astley Putnam law firm plans to rehabilitate a small commercial building at 2311 Douglas Street downtown. The building is the former home of Cockle Legal Services and will be the law firm’s future home once the $1.3 million renovation project is complete. Astley Putnam is currently located in the Old Market. The firm plans to occupy the building’s 3,172 sq. ft. first floor and will renovate the basement for speculative office space. – Isaiah Ang

Ware House Comedy Theater will open March 21 at 1419 South 13th Street, Suite 102, in Little Bohemia. The venue will operate in a back space accesible through an alley between Archetype Coffee and Beercade. Owned by Rachel Ware, the 18+ venue will host comedy shows and offer classes in improv, acting and stand-up, with some classes available for teens. The first show is scheduled for April 2. - Nicole Buntgen

The Toys R Us flagship store at Westroads Mall will soon be home to a Geoffrey’s Café. According to a building permit, Toys R Us will add a service counter on the first floor of their Omaha store. Geoffrey’s Café in the American Dream mall in New Jersey serves drinks, milkshakes, coffee, gelato and ice cream. The Westroads location opened last year before the holiday season and was one of eight flagship locations that opened throughout the United States. – Isaiah Ang

Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based chain of mega gas stations, filed a federal lawsuit February 18 against Coles IP Holdings LLC, which operates the Mickey’s convenience store chain. The suit alleges trademark infringement and unfair competition, claiming Mickey’s moose logo, red signage and rebranding from “Mickey Mart” to “Mickey’s” could confuse customers. Buc-ee’s is planning its first Nebraska location southeast of Interstate 80 & Highway 31 in Gretna’s Good Life District. – Nicole Buntgen

Pollo Feliz will open its first Nebraska location on March 13th at 513 Fort Crook Road North in Bellevue. The Mexican restaurant specializes in traditional marinated charcoal-grilled chicken that’s widely popular in Mexico. Pollo Feliz originated in 1975 in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, and now has more than 1,000 locations throughout Mexico. The brand is much newer in the United States with just a handful of locations.

Misolado Crafted Ramen at 7425 Dodge Street, near 72nd and Dodge Streets, has expanded its hours to include lunch service. The Japanese ramen restaurant is now open Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. The restaurant opened earlier this year. - Nicole Buntgen

A roller coaster will debut this summer at Fun-Plex, the amusement park at 7003 Q Street. MAMMOTH will be 2,000 feet long and will rise 70 feet in the air. Fun-Plex says the ride will be the biggest roller coaster ever in Nebraska. In addition to MAMMOTH, Fun-Plex is adding a photo-and-souvenir shop at the base of the roller coaster, a coffee-and-mini-donuts shop, an upgraded go-kart track and extended ride hours on Fridays.

The Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, moved above growth neutral for February to its highest level since March 2025. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with 50.0 representing growth neutral. It increased to 54.7 from 49.6 in January.

The City of Omaha announced today that Pacific Street at 67th Street will re-open by this Thursday – March 5. The street, between Elmwood Park and the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Aksarben campus, has been closed since a sinkhole opened last Tuesday. Two cars fell into the sinkhole, but no injuries were reported. The city is investigating what caused the sinkhole to suddenly open.

The Omaha World-Herald will close its downtown Omaha printing plant at the end of this month, the news outlet announced today. Known as the Freedom Center, the 321,000 sq. ft. building opened in 2001 and is located at 1398 Capitol Avenue. The World-Herald’s print edition will be produced at a USA Today facility in Des Moines, Iowa. Lee Enterprises, the World-Herald’s parent company, will list the Freedom Center for sale.

Taqueria Tijuana officially opened its third location this past weekend at 307 North 114th Street. The Mexican restaurant operates in a 2,250 sq. ft. space formerly occupied by Which Wich. Taqueria Tijuana’s original restaurant is at 5139 South 24th Street in the South Omaha Main Street Business District. The second location is at 12242 K Plaza in the L Street Marketplace.