Grow Omaha
News Briefs

Lauritzen Gardens will undergo a transformative project, according to a Facebook post AO, a local architectural firm. The Woodland Flyway will create a new entry into the main gardens. The project consists of an elevated walkway, from the Visitor and Education Center to the Garden of Memories. The walkway will allow visitors to be separated from staff and vehicles in addition to creating better views of the gardens. – Isaiah Ang

The UPS Store and Great Clips plan to open next door to each other at 18870 Oakmont Drive in a recently constructed retail center just east of the “world’s largest” Hy-Vee in Gretna. The center is already home to Bisou Nail Spa.

The City of Omaha is putting together a “hero’s celebration” for Omaha’s own Terence “Bud” Crawford, who became the first male fighter to be undisputed champion in three weight classes in the four-belt era. The undefeated Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez Saturday night in Las Vegas. An event date will be announced soon. “Omaha is proud of Bud,” said Mayor John Ewing. “We want to show support for him and what he’s done for our city — not just representing Omaha but also sharing his success with the community and investing in young people.”

Big Grove Brewery plans to hold its grand opening celebration on Thursday, September 25th. The soft opening takes place this week. The Iowa City-based tap room and restaurant is located in an 11,000 sq. ft. space inside The Catalyst, a refurbished steel factory in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EDGE District. Big Grove also features a 6,600 sq. ft. outdoor patio.

The Avenue One Good Life District at 192nd & West Dodge Road appears to be getting closer to construction. Developer Jasper Stone plans to build the district’s first two retail buildings northeast of 192nd & Burke Street. One of the proposed buildings is 13,500 sq. ft., while the other is 2,834 sq. ft., according to City of Omaha planning department documents. No occupants have yet been announced for the retail buildings.

KAMP Blackstone, a food hall and bar at 3618 Farnam Street, recently closed its doors permanently. The locally owned business had several quick-serve restaurant concepts including Hola Seoul, Taco Co., Nice Rollz and Single-Double.

Supermercado Nuestra Familia, a grocery store specializing in Hispanic food and produce, plans to open in a former Walgreens building at 2323 L Street in South Omaha, according to a City of Omaha building permit. Supermercado has four existing Omaha locations plus one coming soon to Topeka, Kan. The company’s stores are commonly 40,000 sq. ft., but the South Omaha store will be much smaller at 15,000 sq. ft. – Isaiah Ang

The Council Bluffs City Council approved Tax Increment Financing for a major data center project planned for vacant land near Iowa Western Community College southwest of Interstate 80 & Highway 6. The project will be built in two phases by a global company called Edged. Each phase will include a 283,497 sq. ft. data center building. The first phase will also include a 23,200 sq. ft. administrative building. The developer’s costs are estimated to be $220 million. The city will offer up to $50 million in TIF. The first phase is to be complete no later than 2029 and the second phase no later than 2033. – Isaiah Ang

Nothing Bundt Cakes has opened at 3701 Metro Drive near Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse in Council Bluffs’ Metro Crossing center. The franchise bakery has existing metro locations at 10347 Pacific Street in One Pacific Place and 2921 South 168th Street in Omaha.

The Greater Omaha Chamber launched a business resiliency fund to support target small businesses during streetcar construction. The Midtown Small Business Resiliency Fund will distribute about $1 million to qualifying businesses that have been most significantly impacted by utilities work to date and will be affected once rail construction begins. Funds for distribution were given to the Chamber by a donor. The first distributions started in mid-August and are intended for businesses most severely impacted in the corridor west of Turner Boulevard on Farnam Street.

Aroi Asian Cuisine will soon open at 2701 23rd Avenue inside Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs. The Asian-fusion restaurant combines Thai and Cajun flavors with menu items like papaya salad, shrimp spring rolls and pho with a Cajun twist. – Nicole Buntgen

There are plans for a new restaurant at 645 North 114th Street in the Miracle Hills Square retail center. According to a building permit, the 1,500 sq. ft. retail bay will be remodeled for a restaurant called Bloom & Board. While not confirmed, it appears to be a charcuterie board restaurant. – Isiah Ang

Marrow officially opened September 2nd at 17870 Oakmont Drive in Gretna, just south of Tiburon Golf Club. The casual fine-dining restaurant offers lunch, dinner and weekend brunch and is under the same ownership as Timber Wood Fire Bistro, Railcar Modern American Kitchen and Pasta Amore. – Nicole Buntgen

Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority today unveiled the new scoreboard, LED displays and ribbon boards inside the CHI Health Center arena. The center-hung scoreboard is the first wraparound board of its quality (2.5MM main video) in the nation. LED displays and video boards were upgraded throughout the arena. The entire project cost $6.5 million.

As of September 10, Porky Butts BBQ is serving Porky Platters, Family Platters, catering orders and bulk meat orders for two pounds minimum for pick-up at its catering office at 15475 Ruggles Street between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The restaurant remains temporarily closed for repairs and clean-up after extensive flooding damage that occurred at the beginning of August. – Nicole Buntgen

Ariat will hold a grand opening celebration this Saturday – September 13th – for its new store at Nebraska Crossing in Gretna. The 8,800 sq. ft. store opened for business last month between YETI and Athleta. Based in San Leandro, Calif., Ariat is an apparel, footwear and accessories retailer that focuses on equestrian, outdoor and work styles.

The Arbour at Heartwood Preserve, an upscale neighborhood development in Heartwood Preserve, will unveil two model homes during the Metro Omaha Builders Association Street of Dreams Multi-Site Luxury Home Tour September 12-14 and 19-21. The Street of Dreams features six houses in five neighborhoods throughout the metro. The Arbour neighborhood occupies 30 acres of the 500-acre Heartwood Development, which is located west of 144th Street between West Dodge Road and Pine Street.

Baker’s plans to build a 100,000 sq. ft. grocery store along the West Maple Corridor. A company affiliated with Baker’s purchased a 20-acre lot at 18303 Evans Street last month. Baker’s will occupy 13 of those acres. The seller was Fleet Farm, which had intended to build a store on the site but had a change of plans. No timeline for construction has been determined. Dillon Real Estate Company, part of Baker’s parent company Kroger, purchased the lot last month for just over $10 million. Fleet Farm had purchased the land in 2021 for $4.84 million. Baker’s has announced another new Omaha store to be built northwest of 204th & Q Street.

Good Evans, a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, opened its third Omaha location last week in the former Old Chicago space on the northeast corner of 144th & West Center Road. Good Evans started in Kearney, Neb., in 2019 and currently has locations 74th & Pacific Street and 204th & West Maple Road as well as one each in Kearney and Lincoln.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha reported that 14,954 students are enrolled this fall. That’s a decrease of 18 students (or 0.1%) compared to fall 2024, but student credit hour production rose by a half percent. New freshman enrollment jumped 3.9 percent, with first-generation students from that group increasing 7.3 percent year over year. UNO’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences saw the highest percentage increase in undergraduate enrollment.