Grow Omaha
News Briefs

Girls Inc. unveiled building details about its to-be-rebuilt Emma Lozier Center in South Omaha located at 2108 L Street near South High School. At 36,000 sq. ft., the updated center will be nearly five times larger than the current South Omaha Center. It will accommodate 300 girls, offering a similar scope of services and opportunities to the Katherine Fletcher Center in North Omaha, including a full-size gym, maker space and instructional kitchen. Like the North Center, the nearly $35 million South Center will have a dedicated fleet of vans for after-school and field trip transportation. Groundbreaking is scheduled for October.

Draftcade, a retro arcade bar and restaurant, has opened at 710 North 114th Street in Miracle Hills. Connected to the relocated Funny Bone Comedy Club, the venue offers 48 rotating drafts, a full bar and unlimited play on 75 classic games like Donkey Kong, NBA Jam and Pac-Man with the purchase of a game band. The space is 21+ after 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. - Nicole Buntgen

The Fox Den will open soon at 4916 Underwood Avenue in Dundee, replacing La Bo, a bodega that closed July 26 after opening a year ago beneath Ooh De Lally. La Bo offered small bites, pintxos, and to-go wine and cocktails. The soft opening starts August 12 followed by a grand opening weekend August 15 and 16. The Fox Den shares Ooh De Lally’s mission through its partnership with the Metropolitan Community College 180 Re-entry Assistance Program. – Nicole Buntgen

ko & co Studios, a locally owned studio space for independent beauty and wellness professionals, is opening a second location this September near 108th & Highway 370 in Papillion. This additional site will offer private, move-in-ready studios for hairstylists, estheticians, tattoo artists and other independent pros. The original ko & co studio is on the northeast corner of 192nd & Pacific Street in Omaha.

A neuropsychology clinic is coming to west Omaha. Neuro Nebraska will open this month at 15808 West Dodge Road #200. The specialty clinic will offer personalized care for individuals navigating memory loss, cognitive changes and other brain health concerns. Led by board-certified clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Lindy Fields, Neuro Nebraska will donate a portion of proceeds to brain-related initiatives in the community.

“Africa on a Plate” plans to open around September 1st in the former Panda House Chinese Restaurant space at 301 South 16th Street in downtown Omaha. The locally owned restaurant will take guests on “a culinary journey through the heart of Africa and taste the resilience and beauty of South Sudanese culture.” Africa on a Plate will feature traditional, vegan and gluten-free menu items.

The Omaha City Council yesterday approved a 32,000 sq. ft. expansion of the long-vacant former Younker’s department store space. A building permit filed with the City of Omaha indicates that the expanded space will be home to a Dillard’s Department Store. After the expansion, the 2-story anchor space will total 207,800 sq. ft. A new entry will be included in the addition. The brick veneer will match the existing building. As part of the project, the former Granite City building will be demolished to create more parking. The Younker’s space has been vacant since 2018. Dillard’s has not yet officially announced the new Westroads store. 

After six straight months of positive readings, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, sank below 50.0 growth neutral threshold for July. The index declined to 49.4 for July from 50.7 in June. Employment losses occurred for the fourth straight month. Inflationary pressures are moving higher at the wholesale level.

The Crossroads Mall redevelopment project reached a significant milestone with the approval of ordinances to approve contracts with Holland Basham Architects and MCL to design and build Phase 1 parking facilities and retail buildings. The city and the developer, Woodbury Corporation, have an agreement that includes obligations for the city to build and manage parking facilities throughout the development. Phase 1 includes retail, commercial and residential buildings with podium and underground parking structures. - Isaiah Ang

The Beanery is taking over the former Rally Coffee space at 17878 Oakmont Drive in Gretna. Opening is scheduled for this Wednesday – August 6th. The location is northeast of 180th & Highway 370. The Beanery has existing locations in Papillion, Ashland, 168th & Giles Road and an existing Gretna store at 11849 South 216th Street. Rally Coffee closed its Gretna location last month, but its downtown Omaha location remains open at 749 North 14th Street.

Burger Detour permanently closed both of its locations as of today. The restaurants were located at 18308 Evans Street (near 180th & West Maple Road) and 1220 South 203rd Street (just south of Pacific Street). Both properties were listed for sale back in May but the restaurants remained open at that time. Burger Detour’s ownership had been building a third location at 120th & L Street, but that project was scrapped this past spring.

After a long wait, one of the final pieces of the RiverFront Parks opened last week. The pickleball courts are officially open on a first-come, first-serve basis. The four courts are located on the north side of the Kiewit Luminarium at Lewis and Clark Landing. Last week, the City of Bellevue also celebrated the completion of four new pickleball courts at Everett Park on the northeast corner of Betz Road & Englewood Drive. – Isaiah Ang

Porky Butts BBQ at 15475 Ruggles Street is temporarily closed for repairs and clean-up. A broken fire suppression water line caused extensive flooding and damage over the weekend. The restaurant’s management is working to determine a timeline for reopening.

Tasty Pizza will build a restaurant at 1421 North Saddle Creek Road near Sgt. Peffer’s Café Italian. Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2026. The local pizzeria currently operates out of a former gas station but plans to upgrade to a space with a more efficient kitchen and a drive-through for carryout orders, according to the City Clerk’s Office. – Nicole Buntgen

U.S. News & World Report ranked Nebraska Medical Center as the No. 1 hospital in the state of Nebraska for the 14th straight year. The publication evaluated more than 4,400 hospitals nationwide to develop its annual list of Best Hospitals. U.S. News considered things like risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care in developing these rankings.

In its July meeting, the Omaha Streetcar Authority approved change orders totaling $245,099 in its contract with Hawkins Construction regarding modifications to water main and other utility infrastructure related to the Farnam and Harney Street Bridges requested by MUD. Additionally, director Rick Gustafson reported that a large payment of nearly $7.4 million was made to CAF USA in June. Since accepting CAF’s bid to provide the streetcar vehicles, the authority has paid more than $15 million of the $47 million contract. - Isaiah Ang

Little Roots Market, a self-serve farm stand, will hold a grand opening August 9 and 10 at 77 Old Lincoln Highway in Crescent, Iowa. The market will offer fresh produce, baked goods, sweet treats and products from sister businesses J&A Treasures (wood décor) and Bros’ Candy (freeze-dried sweets). - Nicole Buntgen

Smokin Barrel BBQ will open August 1 at 2457 South 132nd Street just east of Fazoli’s north 132nd & West Center. The local barbecue spot relocated from 13508 Discovery Drive and will operate Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until sold out. - Nicole Buntgen

Greenstreet Cycles will close its remaining shop at 225 South Washington Street in Papillion effective September 28. The Aksarben Village location closed back in May. Greenstreet has been in business since 2010. Owner Ben Swan said the bike industry has been tough lately. While the pandemic brought a new wave of riders, it was followed by an oversaturated market and competition from direct-to-consumer bike brands.

NeighborGood, a community pantry serving Sarpy County and Ralston, has moved to a new space at 1712 Charleston Drive in Papillion near 66th & Cornhusker Road. The nonprofit provides food, hygiene items, pet supplies and other items to those in need. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for September 16. – Nicole Buntgen