Grow Omaha
News Briefs

The Nebraska Department of Transportation has started a major project to widen Interstate 80 between Q Street and Highway 50 (“Sapp Bros. exit”). The project is adding an additional westbound lane from Q Street to Giles Road and an additional lane at the Highway 50 exit. The project also includes bridge repairs in both directions. To accommodate construction, capacity has been reduced from three lanes to two in both directions, resulting in significant delays. Lane restrictions will be in place until this fall.

Woodhouse Cadillac is building a 25,798 sq. ft. auto dealership and service shop at 17335 Burt Street in West Dodge Pointe. The site is located along the north side of the West Dodge Expressway near several existing car dealerships. A Genesis dealership is also planned. – Isaiah Ang

Acadian Grille & Bar is now open for breakfast Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then transitions directly to its full lunch/dinner menu for the rest of the day. The Cajun restaurant is located at 725 North 114th Street in Miracle Hills.

Midtown Smoke Shop opened April 7 at 3201 Farnam Street next to Pickleman’s near 33rd & Farnam. The locally owned shop, which already operates three Omaha locations, is offering a 25 percent off special through April and plans further expansions in the future. – Nicole Buntgen

Johnny’s Sortino’s Pizza is closing permanently on Saturday, May 31st after 60 years in business. The owners, who are in their 70s, plan to retire. The restaurant is located at 7880 L Street.

The City of Council Bluffs will host the official grand opening of Valley View Dog Park on April 28 at 1300 Franklin Avenue. “This park has already seen great use by the community, and we are pleased to officially recognize its opening and the start of the busy season,” said Mayor Matt Walsh. As part of the event, the city will host an Arbor Day tree planting at 5 p.m.

Barnes & Noble will hold a grand opening Wednesday, April 9 for its store at 7949 Towne Center Parkway in Papillion’s Shadow Lake Towne Center. The 12,000 sq. ft. space was previously home to a Best Buy store. Barnes & Noble has an existing metro area store near Oak View Mall.

Ella Rose Aesthetics, a local medical spa, will host its ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 5 at its new location at 17725 Welch Plaza. The spa, which opened in February 2022 and was previously located at 17785 Mason Street inside Michele Strom Image Consulting, aims to blend medical expertise with an artistic touch to offer aesthetic treatments that enhance natural beauty and boost confidence. – Nicole Buntgen

The owners of Pepperwood Village at 156th & West Dodge Road are planning for a yet-to-be-named fast-food restaurant. The Omaha Planning Board will review a request to amend the development agreement to allow for the new building. According to the application, the restaurant will be 2,700 sq. ft. and have a drive-thru. It will be built east of the First Interstate Bank branch in the large parking lot. Site plans make it look like a Starbucks.

Before Kansas City’s streetcar opened, Keith Novorr was vocally opposed to the project. As the owner of Michael’s Fine Clothes for Men, a store located along the streetcar route, Novorr is now a proud supporter. His walk-in traffic has grown 60 percent since the KC streetcar launched 10 years ago. “I was the biggest naysayer of this project in the beginning,” he said, “and now I’m eating crow.” Omaha’s Modern Streetcar Advocates’ recent interview with Novorr is available HERE.

RENZE, a provider of exhibits, branded environments, event graphics and point-of-purchase solutions, has merged with Window Optics, owned by Taylor Gautsche, and will add that company’s offerings to its current line of window films. Rebranded to Window Optics powered by RENZE, this division specializes in residential and commercial window tinting, offering various sun control, decorative and safety & security films.

A nationwide study of 4,415 adults determined the popularity of America’s richest persons. Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, ranked first with 52 percent of respondents saying they had a favorable view of him, according to Visual Capitalist. Bill Gates was second with 49 percent and Elon Musk was third with 39 percent. Buffett received an unfavorable rating from 26 percent of respondents. The biggest unfavorable rating (64%) went to Mark Zuckerberg.

The Spice & Tea Exchange is holding a soft opening this weekend at 17255 Davenport Street, Suite 106, in Village Pointe Shopping Center. The locally owned retailer offers a variety of fine spices, handcrafted seasonings, loose-leaf teas, salts, sugars and gifts as well as freshly brewed hot or iced tea from an in-house tea bar.

Barn Girls Farms held a ribbon cutting this week for its store at 5306 South 73rd Street in Ralston. The family owned business is a farm-to-table operation serving locally grown microgreens, farm-fresh eggs, grass-fed meats, freshly baked sourdough bread and a wine bar.

Another effort is underway to renovate the former Aksarben Suites hotel at 7270 Cedar Street. In 2021, a multifamily developer began the process of rezoning the closed hotel to high-density residential zoning, but progress stalled. This week, the Omaha Planning Board will review a Tax Increment Financing application for $3.5 million. The total renovation project will cost $21 million. The plan entails creating 197 studio units of 550 sq. ft. and 650 sq. ft. Rents would be $1,195 and $1,395, respectively. Construction is expected to begin this July and end by August 2026. – Isaiah Ang

Demand for lakefront living has skyrocketed in recent years especially in western Douglas County. Construction is in full swing in the Still Water Lake area southeast of 276th & Highway 275 in Valley. The 30-acre lake is part of a 134-acre, mixed-use project being developed by Hampton Development Services. Construction on the lake started in 2023. Forty-three single-family and townhome lots are currently available, and six have already sold. Six commercial lots are currently available; one has already sold. Thanks to western Douglas County’s high water table and rich deposits of gravel, the Valley area has become a hub of lake development.

Omaha Economic Development Corporation, a hybrid nonprofit, will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Larimore Senior Housing on May 21 at 3483 Larimore Avenue, formerly Immanuel Hospital. Remodeled by Boyd Jones Construction, the 45-unit senior living complex aims to boost affordable housing for low- to moderate-income residents in Omaha’s Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas. The facility will feature an internal theater and a large kitchen area to serve individuals with special needs. – Nicole Buntgen

Girls Inc. plans to open a recreational and services facility north of the South High School football stadium. The property is between Missouri Avenue and K Street. The rezoning and special permit application shows plans for a 2-story, 40,000 sq. ft. building with a surface parking lot and outdoor play area. The facility will have health and wellness space plus an indoor gym. Girls Inc. was founded in North Omaha in 1975 and has grown to serve up to 1,000 girls and young women a year. They are headquartered at 2811 North 45th Street and have a South Omaha location, the Emma Lozier Center, at 5407 South 30th Street. – Isaiah Ang

The Baby Bob Bridge is officially open for public use. According to the City of Omaha, there was a soft opening last week, even though there are some final construction items pending. The Baby Bob Bridge connects the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge to North Downtown on the north side of the CHI Health Center. – Isaiah Ang

Snooze Mattress Company plans to open a third Omaha store at 17011 Evans Street, which is in the end-cap bay of a retail strip center just southeast of 171st & West Maple Road. The building has a Jimmy’s Egg and other retailers. Interior build-out is underway. Snooze Mattress has existing Omaha stores in the Shops of Legacy and Rockbrook Village. The locally owned franchises are among 16 total locations in nine states.