Grow Omaha
News Briefs

Con Amor, a Latin-inspired restaurant, will soon open in Valley at 215 North Spruce Street in the former Simply Delicious space. Tentative opening date is in three weeks. The restaurant focuses on authentic Latin, Central and South American dishes infused with the owner’s unique flavors. Con Amor is currently open for takeout and is hiring for a head chef. – Nicole Buntgen

Hola Seoul, a new Korean-Mexican food concept, will open inside Kamp Blackstone, the food hall at 3618 Farnam Street, on September 6th. The fusion eatery will celebrate its opening with a Nite Market, offering items like Supa Tots, Seoulpremes, and other street foods plus drinks available that night only, including Kimbap, Fish Cake Skewers, Kimchi Pancakes and Horchata Ice Shots. – Nicole Buntgen

Last week, Grow Omaha reported the city plans to build a 600-stall parking garage in Millwork Commons just east of the Ashton Building. A Planning Board application for TIF shows that developers plan to build a $44 million multifamily apartment building west of the Ashton. The applications shows a 5-story, 146-unit building consisting of 55 2-bedroom units and 94 1-bedroom units. The ground floor will have a single 10,000 sq. ft. retail bay and 65 covered parking stalls. The building will also have two large decks on the second-floor roof. – Isaiah Ang

Williamsburg Pizza plans to open a second Omaha-area location in a to-be-constructed, 6-story building southeast of 72nd & Farnam Street. But it won’t happen for quite a while, because construction has not yet started. Williamsburg is small chain of pizzerias with locations in New York City and one in Omaha at 168th & Harrison Street.

In 2023, the Omaha Community Foundation set a record by distributing nearly $280 million to nonprofits through more than 17,000 grants, thanks to the generosity of local fundholders and partners. Of the funds, 71 percent stayed in Douglas and Pottawattamie Counties, with 25 percent supporting education, 15 percent for the arts, and 13 percent for human services. Omaha’s spirit of giving is truly unmatched. – Darcie Dingman Willie

Developers are seeking approval of a PUR, or planned unit redevelopment, overlay district of a 14-acre site on the northeast corner of 56th & Kansas Avenue. Building plans show an eight-building apartment complex. Each building is shown to be three stories tall. The total number of apartment units throughout the complex is 210. Amenities include a clubhouse and outdoor pool. – Isaiah Ang

Berkshire Hathaway reached a $1 trillion market capitalization today, the first non-technology company in U.S. history to reach this milestone, according to CNBC. Shares of the Omaha-based conglomerate have rallied more than 28 percent in 2024, far above the S&P 500′s 18 percent gain. The $1 trillion threshold is somewhat of a birthday present as Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett turns 94 later this week.

The Kiewit Luminarium has received an Honorable Mention for Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards in the Learning category. The honor recognizes designers and businesses that are “using creativity and unparalleled problem-solving skills to shape the world we live in for the better.”

Tea Time has opened at 14505 West Maple Road in the Shoppes of Grayhawk. The business focuses on drinks with authentic Chinese flavor from classic milk teas to fruit blends.

The targeted opening date for LEGO’s first Nebraska store is September 20th. The Denmark-based toy retailer will open in a 2,131 sq. ft. space next to Vineyard Vines at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna.

Starbuck’s Coffee is building a free-standing store with a drive-through in the Stony Brook area near 144th & Stony Brook Boulevard. The construction site is in front of a Hy-Vee grocery store and south of a Chipotle Mexican Grill location. The store should open within a few months.

Hoppe Development plans to renovate several buildings in the Chamber Court apartment complex at 18th & Burdette Street, including several National Historic Registered Buildings. Exteriors will remain largely intact preserving the historic design. However, lots on the north and south sides of Burdette Street, and an urban farm property along 18th Street, will be developed into new residential buildings, including townhouse-style apartment buildings North of Burdette. To the south, the developer will build a 30-unit, 3-story apartment building. The planning board will consider the plan in September. – Isaiah Ang

European Auto Outlet has purchased its 13,350 sq. ft. building at 8111 H Street for $1.6 million, according to Trenton Magid and John Meyer of NAI NP Dodge, who brokered the sale. Prior to closing the deal, the auto dealer had been leasing the building for almost a year.

Two airlines are adding nonstop capacity between Eppley Airfield and Los Angeles International Airport for the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ game against USC November 16, according to the Omaha Airport Authority. American Airlines will use bigger planes to LAX on November 15 and 17. Southwest Airlines is adding nonstops to LAX on November 14 and 17.

The Hoppy Taco will officially close its Dundee location at 5003 Underwood Avenue on September 1st after seven years in business. The reason for the business’s closure has not been announced. The restaurant’s social media statement ended with #illbeback, possibly hinting at a future reopening, which has not been confirmed. – Nicole Buntgen

Creighton University welcomed 1,130 freshmen to campus this month, its third-largest freshman class in history. About 40 percent of the class hails from more than 400 miles from Omaha.

Good Lookin’, the breakfast-and-lunch café at 4919 Underwood Avenue in Dundee, plans to open a second location in the former Austin’s Steaks and Saloon space at 168th & West Center Road. The restaurant’s ownership is not yet ready to announce an opening date for the west Omaha location.

Grow Omaha received the Chairman’s Award Friday at the 35th annual Commercial Real Estate Summit held this past Friday at CHI Health Center Omaha. Approximately 850 commercial real estate professionals attended the event. Organized by Jerry Slusky and Chris Mensinger, the Summit is the largest commercial real estate education and networking event in the region.

Plans are in motion for mixed-use residential project at 300 South 72nd Street, the current site of a Jimmy John’s and large surface parking lot. Lockwood Development plans a 5-story building with more than 100 enclosed parking spaces distributed between the first and second floors. More than 170 units are planned for the upper floors, including 52 studios, 98 1-bedroom and 26 2-bedroom units. Two ground-floor commercial units are located on the east side of the building and will be occupied by Hawaiian Bros. and a Jimmy John’s with a drive-through. – Isaiah Ang

African Cocktail Lounge recently opened in Benson at 7215 Blondo Street. Along with concoctions, the lounge serves finger foods—like samosas and grilled meat skewers—while drawing on Africa’s rich cultural heritage to create a vibrant and captivating atmosphere that celebrates the continent’s diversity.